When the year’s first tournament kicks off, English will be the language on Astralis' team speak. BLAST Bounty 2026, Season 1 marks a strategic shift for the Danish esports organization, which today welcomes its first international signings: Swedish player Love “phzy” Smidebrant and Lithuanian Gytis “ryu” Glušauskas.

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CEO Jonas Gundersen:  

“Since the acquisition of Astralis in the autumn, we have focused on two main areas: streamlining and cleaning up the business, and building the team with a long-term perspective, while still delivering results in the short term.”

“We reached the second stage of the Major and were one match away from qualifying for the third and final stage. Of course we would have liked to go further, but after not having attended a Major for nearly four years, this represents clear progress, and we cannot be too disappointed.”

“Now we are entering the next phase with the team, and the signings of ‘phzy’ and ‘ryu’ should be seen in that context. These are our first international signings, and they are players we believe fit very well into what we are building. In addition to being strong players, they bring new energy to the team, and they are players who can immediately adapt to the style of play we want to implement, together with the coach and our in-game leader.”

“The goal is for everything to move a bit faster and be a bit more fun to be part of—and to watch. The first step has been taken, but we will be working hard throughout 2026 to build further, across all areas.”

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Love “phzy” Smidebrant:

“First, I want to say thank you to Astralis for the opportunity to play for a legendary organization like this. I have been welcomed with open arms, and I am eager to show the fans and everyone else what we as a team can deliver.”

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Gytis “ryu” Glušauskas:

“I’m incredibly excited to get started and to adapt to the new surroundings. Everyone knows Astralis and the organization’s history, and I will work hard to help the team achieve results. It will be very special to play for Astralis for the first time, but right now the main focus is on getting ready as a team.”

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The team’s first tournament will be BLAST Bounty, starting on January 12.

The line-up going forward: HooXi, jabbi, Staehr, phzy, and ryu.