The BLAST Spring Showdown is the last chance for teams to secure a spot in the Lisbon Spring Finals. Eight European teams will compete in a single-elimination bracket, with just one spot on the line.
Astralis enter the event after a successful RMR, where they managed to qualify as Challengers for the PGL Antwerp Major.
We sat down with clutchminister Andreas "xyp9x" Hojslketh ahead of the event for a quick chat.
Josse van Dessel
How’s the general atmosphere coming into the Showdown?
Ninja
I think the mood in the team is really good: We did well at the RMR. We lost to Players - now Cloud9 - and G2 in close matches, and we won the games we should have. So yeah, I think we are making progress, which is nice.
Josse van Dessel
You only had a couple of days to prepare, having to travel back from the RMR. Is that enough time to fully prepare for this event?
Ninja
Obviously, we haven’t been able to work on the mistakes we were making at the RMR. I feel like that's not that big of an issue, but obviously, it would have been better to have more time. To fix the mistakes and work on some things.
We're also facing Movistar Riders first, who weren't at the RMR and have had plenty of time to prepare. They also haven't been playing a lot, so there isn't much material on them. Things could be better, but we take it as it is.
Josse van Dessel
Farlig has been with you guys for just over two months. How do you feel he’s slotting into the team?
Ninja
I think he's doing very well, both socially and on the server. He's what we needed. Big kudos to him, for how he managed to fit into the team and make it work so quickly. Only positive things.
"We haven’t been able to work on the mistakes we were making at the RMR. I feel like that's not that big of an issue, but obviously, it would have been better to have more time."
Josse van Dessel
How is he as a teammate?
Ninja
He reminds me a bit of myself: He's very silent but comes up with random things from nowhere. But he's a very good teammate, always being supportive and a funny guy as well. I like him very much.
Josse van Dessel
There’s a potential match-up against Heroic waiting in the Finals. Is that starting to feel like a rivalry for you guys?
Ninja
Heroic is now ranked above us, so you could say that. I think that's fair to say. Obviously, it's like this with every domestic team, you want to beat each other more than anyone else.
So yeah, you could say there's a rivalry. But we approach it as just another game, we don't try to focus on who the opponent is and just prepare for what they do.
Josse van Dessel
Are you looking forward to potentially returning to Lisbon?
Ninja
I can remember the last time we were there, I didn't know what to expect from the crowd. But they were absolutely bonkers. It would be nice to be there again, but we have to qualify first and it's a tough road through the Showdown. But I'm looking forward to it, I really want to go there.
Astralis will kick off their campaign later today against Movistar Riders.
