Astralis sign br0 as device takes over as IGL

The Danish organization has picked up its former academy prospect to finalize the team.

Astralis have completed the signing of Monte player Alexander "⁠br0⁠" Bro, the Danish organization has announced. The 21-year-old will return to the organization where he spent nearly ten months playing for the academy squad, Astralis Talent.

br0 will step into Benjamin "⁠blameF⁠" Bremer’s shoes after the four-time HLTV Top 20 player was removed from the starting lineup in the aftermath of a failed qualification campaign for PGL Major Copenhagen. blameF, who is contracted to Astralis until the end of 2025, is currently open to offers “as a non-IGL rifler.”

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br0 played for Astralis Talent between October 2022 and July 2023, averaging a 1.09 rating. He went on to join Monte in an unlikely move as he had little tier-one experience and was stepping into a team that was coming off a playoff run at the BLAST Paris Major. "When we played our first scrims with him at a bootcamp, we realized that we could make it work pretty easily," former Monte player Viktor "⁠sdy⁠" Orudzhev recently told HLTV.

With br0 in the lineup instead of Mohammad "⁠BOROS⁠" Malhas, Monte began to function better as a unit. The team ended 2023 at No.7 in the world rankings and with a LAN title in its cabinet after winning ESL Challenger Jönköping.

"I'm insanely happy to return to Astralis," br0 said in a statement. "I know what I'm talking about when I say it's a fantastic organization, and it really hurt to see them miss the Major because I know how much it means to everybody here. However, it has opened up opportunities for me, and I will do everything to show that I am the best choice for the team.

"They know what they're getting, and I know what it means to play here and be part of Astralis. Although I have the utmost respect for playing alongside such skilled players and the pressure of being here, I also know I can make a difference. That's who I am as a person and as a player, and I'm just insanely excited to get started."

Kasper Straube, Astralis’ sports director, explained that br0’s ability to "create space for the other four to move into their favorite positions" is what made the organization decide to go for him. The team had not been able to solve the evident role clashes that came with the high-profile signings of Martin "⁠stavn⁠" Lund and Jakob "⁠jabbi⁠" Nygaard.

"He was a standout player on an extremely successful talent team and chose to seek international experience after his run on the talent squad," Straube added.

"Our top priority has been to find a player who can step into the team and create space for the other four. br0 fits perfectly here."

With blameF out of the picture, the baton has been passed to Nicolai "⁠device⁠" Reedtz, who will take on the role for the first time after being the secondary caller under Lukas "⁠gla1ve⁠" Rossander and blameF.

device said that he is “super motivated” for this new challenge and noted that becoming an in-game leader also offers him an opportunity to extend his career.

"It motivates me insanely because I don't just intend to continue this for a couple of years," device said. "Stepping into a new chapter in my career really excites me, and it's a role I see myself in for many years to come.

"The hardest thing for me is to ask Astralis fans for patience because they have really been patient for the past 3 years. That's also why I'm fully committed, and although it's new, it's also in many ways a continuation of my own development."

br0 will link up with his new teammates on Friday for a bootcamp ahead of IEM Chengdu, the team’s first LAN event. The Chinese tournament, scheduled for April 8-14, will also mark Casper "⁠ruggah⁠" Due's debut as the team’s new head coach.

Astralis now have:

Nicolai "⁠device⁠" Reedtz
Martin "⁠stavn⁠" Lund
Jakob "⁠jabbi⁠" Nygaard
Victor "⁠Staehr⁠" Staehr
Alexander "⁠br0⁠" Bro

Casper "⁠ruggah⁠" Due (Coach)

Benjamin "⁠blameF⁠" Bremer (benched)