Astralis bench HooXi and jabbi with immediate effect as cmtry loan nears ahead of PGL Major Singapore

Astralis have made their Counter-Strike 2 roster changes official. On Friday, the Danish club moved in-game leader Rasmus "HooXi" Nielsen and rifler Jakob "jabbi" Nygaard to the bench with immediate effect. The announcement came two days after HLTV reported that Astralis were looking for replacements. It also follows earlier reports linking siuhy and cmtry to the club. Both players are now reported to be close to signing, with the PGL Major in Singapore less than seven weeks away.

What Astralis announced

Chief executive Jonas Gundersen said the club and both players had mutually agreed to part ways. Both players' contracts expire at the end of the year. He described the decision as a moment where "it is time to turn the page" and thanked the pair for their work.

The move ends a spell in which Astralis had improved. HooXi joined in June 2025 after a stand-in period, replacing Casper "cadiaN" Møller. Under his leadership, Astralis won a LAN title in Barcelona, their first LAN trophy since December 2019. They also reached grand finals at PGL Astana 2025, FISSURE Playground 1 and PGL Bucharest 2026. jabbi had been with the team since November 2023, when he arrived from HEROIC with Martin "stavn" Lund.

Who is coming in

HLTV reports that two players are close to joining. Kamil "siuhy" Szkaradek is a Polish in-game leader who previously led Team Liquid and is currently without a team. Nikita "cmtry" Samolotov is a 19-year-old Ukrainian who has been benched at FUT. On 7 October, HLTV reported that he was set to join Astralis on loan.

cmtry has played as an AWPer since his NAVI Youth days in 2023. HLTV reports that he will switch to a rifle role at Astralis. If both moves go through, they would join phzy, Staehr and ryu, with Filip "NEO" Kubski staying on as coach. Astralis have not yet confirmed the signings. They currently have three active players and are due to play again on Monday, 12 October.

Why the timing matters

The changes come shortly before the biggest event of the year for Southeast Asian Counter-Strike fans. The PGL Major Singapore has a $1.25 million prize pool and 16 teams in its final stage. Stage 1 starts on 24 November, and the main event runs from 2 to 13 December.

Astralis's results this year moved them into the top 10 of Valve's global rankings. HLTV's projections suggest they are almost certain to qualify for Singapore. Their new line-up will therefore have only a few weeks to settle before it plays at a Major.

Other teams are also adjusting before Singapore. Valve has made a separate exception allowing BC.Game to try to qualify through the Asia region.

Key takeaways

• Astralis benched HooXi and jabbi with immediate effect on 9 October, and both contracts end this year.
• HooXi led Astralis to a LAN title in Barcelona, their first LAN trophy since December 2019.
• Former Liquid in-game leader siuhy and FUT's cmtry are reported to be close to joining.
• cmtry is expected to switch from AWP to rifle if his loan goes through.
• The PGL Major Singapore starts on 24 November, and Astralis are projected to qualify.

FAQ

Why did Astralis bench HooXi and jabbi? Astralis said the club and both players mutually agreed to part ways. Their contracts were due to end at the end of 2026.

Who will replace HooXi and jabbi at Astralis? Nothing is official yet. HLTV reports that siuhy and cmtry are close to joining, with cmtry arriving on loan from FUT.

When is the PGL Major Singapore 2026? Stage 1 starts on 24 November. The main event runs from 2 to 13 December in Singapore.

Sources: HLTV, Dust2.us