Eyes on Katowice: Astralis needs to deliver

With the first big event of the year on the horizon, CS:GO’s 2022 season is ready to get started. A tumultuous off-season saw major shifts in how teams stack up to each other. In the days leading into the event, we will paint the picture for every roster competing at the event, and try to set expectations.

In this article, we take a look at Astralis.

Astralis: Are the guns big enough?

Image: BLAST Premier

Ever since dev1ce left the lineup, there’s been a lot of discussion about Astralis’ potential to reclaim their throne.

Even after the drastic overhaul of their roster late last year, analysts wonder if this team has enough raw talent to climb back to the top.

With Kristian “k0nfig” Wienecke, they brought in an elite albeit unpredictable rifler, Benjamin “blameF” Bremer is a versatile lurker and secondary caller, and Philip “Lucky” Ewald is a talented but young and inconsistent AWPer.

Add the supportive elements of the old Astralis core, and we start to understand why this discussion is being held.

Is there enough firepower in this roster to consistently reach for the stars?

The shadow of the old Astralis is looming over this new iteration. Players are expected to deliver nothing but brilliance in an environment that has changed drastically from the once-successful formula.

How will Astralis perform at IEM Katowice?

Astralis is one of the lineups that are hard to pinpoint at IEM Katowice. A lot will depend on the performance of the newest team members.

k0nfig had a solid start to his tenure but has slowed down a bit. blameF is not the type of player that can singlehandedly win a game. And Lucky is still experiencing growing pains at the top level.

If these guys can fire on all cylinders, Astralis is a dangerous outsider at the event. If one falls silent, an early exit is not of the card.

Astralis has had more time together than most of the lineups at the event. While this is an advantage head-to-head, it also means that the pressure is on.

Not making it out of the play-ins would be embarrassing for the four-time Major champions.

The learning is over. It’s time to start delivering.