Astralis Sign siuhy and cmtry in Major CS2 Roster Rebuild

Astralis have officially signed Kamil "siuhy" Szkaradek and Nikita "cmtry" Samolotov, completing a major CS2 roster overhaul only days after benching Rasmus "HooXi" Nielsen and Jakob "jabbi" Nygaard.

The October 13 move gives Astralis a new in-game leader in siuhy while cmtry makes a significant individual transition from AWPing to rifling, leaving Love "phzy" Smidebrant as the team's primary sniper. It also produces a historic change in the identity of the organization: Astralis will compete without a Danish majority for the first time. 

The rebuild comes at an unusually important moment. Astralis had just won Stake Ranked Episode 4 — their first LAN trophy since 2019 — and strengthened their position for the PGL Major Singapore 2026 before replacing two members of that title-winning lineup. 

Quick Summary

What Happened: Astralis Sign siuhy and cmtry

Astralis confirmed the arrivals of siuhy and cmtry on October 13, finalizing a double roster change that had developed rapidly over the previous week.

The organization had moved HooXi and jabbi to the bench four days earlier. Both players were approaching the ends of their contracts, and Astralis' management elected to begin its next roster cycle immediately rather than wait until the end of the year. 

The replacements had already been identified in reporting before the official announcement.

HLTV first reported that Astralis were looking for alternatives to HooXi and jabbi on October 7, naming siuhy among the candidates. Later that day, HLTV confirmed an initial report from Sebastien "KRL" Perez that cmtry was set to join Astralis and transition away from the AWP. 

Those reports became official on October 13.

The resulting lineup is one of the most internationally diverse in Astralis' history, featuring players from Sweden, Denmark, Lithuania, Ukraine and Poland under Polish coach Filip "NEO" Kubski. 

Astralis CS2 Roster After siuhy and cmtry Signings

Astralis' current lineup page confirms siuhy, phzy, Staehr, ryu and cmtry as the active five, with HooXi and jabbi remaining benched. 

Why Astralis Changed a Trophy-Winning Lineup

The timing makes this one of the more unusual roster decisions of Astralis' recent history.

On October 4, Astralis defeated Nemiga 3-1 in the Stake Ranked Episode 4 grand final in Barcelona. It was the organization's first proper LAN tournament victory since the BLAST Pro Series Global Final in December 2019. 

The result also pushed Astralis into the global VRS top 10. 

Just three days later, however, HLTV reported that Astralis were actively searching for replacements for HooXi and jabbi.

The reason was not presented as a reaction to the Barcelona result.

Instead, the underlying issue was contractual. HLTV reported that negotiations had stalled with players approaching the end of their deals. jabbi's contract was due to expire at the end of November, while HooXi's ran through the end of 2026. 

Astralis officially benched both players on October 9.

The organization's leadership framed the decision as the beginning of a new chapter, despite HooXi having just led the roster to its breakthrough trophy. 

That context matters: Astralis did not simply replace two players because the previous five had failed competitively. The organization made a forward-looking roster decision while its outgoing lineup was producing its strongest result.

Astralis Roster Change Timeline

The October 27 match against fnatic is the next Astralis fixture currently listed by HLTV. 

siuhy Gets Another Chance to Lead

The siuhy signing addresses the most obvious structural problem created by HooXi's departure: Astralis needed another in-game leader.

siuhy became available after his Liquid chapter came to an end.

Liquid benched the Polish IGL on July 21 before the two sides formally parted ways on October 2, making him a free agent shortly before Astralis began its roster overhaul. 

His Liquid tenure had failed to produce the level of stability expected when he joined the organization. HLTV characterized the period as one marked by early exits, cohesion problems and weak T-side performances.

Astralis therefore represents an opportunity for siuhy to rebuild his standing as an IGL.

It also creates an interesting leadership structure.

siuhy now works with NEO, giving Astralis a Polish IGL-coach combination at the center of a multinational roster.

How quickly they establish a shared tactical identity will be one of the most important questions surrounding the team before Singapore.

cmtry Makes a Major Role Change

cmtry's arrival is arguably the more experimental half of the double signing.

The 19-year-old Ukrainian has played primarily as an AWPer since joining NAVI Youth in 2023. Astralis, however, already have phzy operating as their dedicated sniper.

As a result, cmtry will transition to rifling, while phzy retains the primary AWP. 

That makes the signing more complex than a straightforward player-for-player replacement.

Astralis are not simply inserting an established rifler into jabbi's vacant position. They are betting that cmtry's individual ability can translate into a different weapon and positional profile.

There is clear upside behind that gamble.

cmtry won his first HLTV MVP award at PGL Bucharest 2026, where he helped FUT win the tournament and recorded a 1.28 rating across the event. 

His form later declined, however, and FUT moved him to the bench at the beginning of October when the organization brought in Álvaro "SunPayus" García. 

Astralis are therefore attempting to unlock a player who has already demonstrated a high competitive ceiling, but in a substantially different role.

Key Details of the Astralis Double Signing

Public reporting before the signing described cmtry as being set to join on loan. The official HLTV announcement confirms his arrival but does not provide complete public contractual terms in the article. Any precise loan duration, purchase option or financial terms should therefore remain TBD unless Astralis or FUT disclose them. 

Why Astralis Signing siuhy and cmtry Matters

This is bigger than a conventional two-player swap.

For years, Astralis' identity was inseparable from Danish Counter-Strike. Even after the organization's legendary Major-winning lineup dissolved, Astralis continued fielding Danish-majority rosters.

That changes with siuhy and cmtry.

HLTV notes that the new lineup marks the first time Astralis will not field a Danish majority. 

Only Staehr is Danish in the active five.

The organization has therefore moved from rebuilding within Denmark's player ecosystem to assembling talent internationally.

That significantly expands the available recruitment pool but also changes the team-building challenge. Communication, role compatibility and tactical integration become especially important when constructing a roster from players developed in different systems.

Tactical Impact: HooXi to siuhy

The most direct tactical change is leadership.

HooXi was the in-game leader of the lineup that finally returned Astralis to the LAN winner's circle. His departure means siuhy inherits responsibility for directing a team whose other four players have very limited shared match history with him.

The transition is unlikely to be completely seamless.

Astralis are introducing a new caller while simultaneously changing one of the rifle positions and asking that player to learn a new role.

There is nevertheless a potential long-term advantage.

siuhy has experience leading international rosters, making his profile logically compatible with Astralis' move away from a Danish core.

The exact structure of calling responsibilities between siuhy, NEO and the other players has not been publicly detailed, so anything more specific would be speculative.

Role Analysis: The cmtry Experiment

cmtry may be the roster's largest short-term variable.

An elite performance with the AWP does not automatically translate into elite rifle play. Positioning, entry patterns, trading responsibilities and economy management can all change when a player switches weapons.

Astralis therefore need to determine how cmtry fits alongside Staehr and ryu without compromising phzy's established AWP position.

The early sample is far too small to make a reliable judgment.

As of October 26, HLTV lists the new Astralis five with only eight maps played together, producing five map wins and three losses. 

That makes any definitive assessment of cmtry's transition premature.

Early Results With siuhy and cmtry

Astralis' new roster made an encouraging start at Stake Pulse Beat III.

The team defeated Sashi 2-0 and HOTU 2-1 on October 14, winning Group C and advancing directly into the playoffs. 

ryu was the standout performer in those opening matches rather than either newcomer, posting a 1.41 rating against Sashi and a 1.55 rating against HOTU. 

Astralis' tournament run subsequently ended against MIBR, who defeated them 2-1 on October 16. The team finished Stake Pulse Beat III in the 5th-8th place range. 

Those results provide the first competitive evidence for the new roster, but eight maps are not enough to establish its ceiling.

Tournament and Singapore Major Impact

The timing of the change creates an obvious risk: Astralis are rebuilding immediately before the final stretch toward PGL Major Singapore 2026.

There is also an important mitigating factor.

Astralis' victory at Stake Ranked Episode 4 significantly improved their VRS position. The team entered the global top 10 after winning the tournament, and HLTV's simulation at the time of the siuhy/cmtry announcement indicated that Astralis had clinched a Singapore Major invitation. 

The Major itself runs from November 24 to December 13, 2026, with 32 teams participating. European teams receive 18 invitations, with their starting stage determined by the November 2 VRS cutoff. 

That gives the new lineup competitive breathing room compared with a team still fighting simply to qualify.

The more relevant VRS question now is where Astralis will enter the Major, rather than whether the roster change itself automatically adds ranking points.

VRS Impact

The roster move does not directly award Astralis VRS points.

Valve Regional Standings are driven by competitive results, and the team's major ranking boost came from the title run at Stake Ranked Episode 4. HLTV's event data shows Astralis gaining 127 VRS points from the Barcelona tournament and moving five positions to No. 10 in the displayed global ranking. 

Future ranking movement will depend on how the siuhy/cmtry lineup performs.

That distinction matters because the roster change introduces competitive uncertainty at exactly the point when Major seeding remains relevant.

Historical Context: Astralis Break With Their Danish Identity

The most historically significant aspect of the rebuild may not be either individual signing.

It is the nationality structure of the resulting team.

Astralis became synonymous with Danish Counter-Strike through the legendary core that dominated the late 2010s and won multiple Majors.

Even through years of subsequent rebuilding, Danish players remained central to the project.

The 2026 lineup breaks that pattern.

With siuhy from Poland, phzy from Sweden, ryu from Lithuania, cmtry from Ukraine and Staehr from Denmark, Astralis have effectively become a European international project. 

NEO's presence as a Polish coach reinforces that transformation.

Whether this represents Astralis' long-term recruitment philosophy or simply the best available solution in October 2026 remains to be seen.

Before and After: Astralis' October Rebuild

The previous five played 163 maps together and recorded five LAN top-three finishes according to HLTV's lineup database. The new lineup had played eight maps as of October 26. 

The contrast illustrates the scale of Astralis' decision: the organization is replacing established continuity with a substantially different long-term structure immediately after winning a tournament.

What Changes Now for Astralis?

Three things change immediately.

First, siuhy takes over the leadership position previously occupied by HooXi.

Second, cmtry gives up primary AWPing and moves onto the rifle, keeping phzy on the sniper.

Third, Astralis cease to be a Danish-majority Counter-Strike team for the first time. 

What does not change is equally important.

phzy remains the AWPer. Staehr and ryu remain part of the core. NEO continues as coach.

Astralis therefore have not started completely from zero. Instead, they have retained three players and the coach while changing the team's leadership and one of its primary rifle positions.

What to Watch Next

The first question is whether siuhy can establish an effective T-side system quickly enough for Astralis to arrive at the Singapore Major with a coherent identity.

The second is cmtry's transition. His ceiling as an AWPer is demonstrated by his PGL Bucharest MVP, but his ability to produce comparable value as a full-time rifler remains unproven.

Astralis' next listed match is against fnatic at Stake Ranked Episode 5 on October 27. 

Beyond that, the November 2 VRS cutoff is worth monitoring because European teams' ranking positions determine which stage of the Singapore Major they enter. 

The ultimate test comes in Singapore.

If Astralis perform well there, management's decision to dismantle a title-winning Danish-majority roster could quickly look like an aggressive but successful move toward a higher ceiling. If the team struggles, the timing of the rebuild will inevitably receive greater scrutiny.

Related Teams, Players and Events

Astralis: The organization rebuilding around an international CS2 lineup led by siuhy.

siuhy: Former MOUZ and Liquid in-game leader who joins Astralis as HooXi's replacement after becoming a free agent on October 2. 

cmtry: Former FUT AWPer and PGL Bucharest 2026 MVP who is transitioning to rifling with Astralis. 

HooXi: Former Astralis IGL, now benched after leading the organization to its first LAN title since 2019. 

jabbi: Long-serving Astralis rifler benched alongside HooXi, with his contract approaching expiration at the time of the move. 

phzy: Astralis' primary AWPer, whose role remains intact despite the arrival of former sniper cmtry.

NEO: Astralis' coach and part of the new Polish leadership pairing with siuhy.

Liquid: siuhy's previous organization. The two sides formally parted ways on October 2.

FUT: cmtry's previous organization, which benched him after signing SunPayus. 

PGL Major Singapore 2026: The first Major cycle Astralis will contest with the new international roster. 

FAQ

Who did Astralis sign?

Astralis officially signed Kamil "siuhy" Szkaradek and Nikita "cmtry" Samolotov on October 13, 2026. They replaced HooXi and jabbi in the active lineup. 

Who is Astralis' new IGL?

siuhy takes over the in-game leadership position following HooXi's benching. The Polish player joined Astralis after becoming a free agent following his departure from Liquid. 

Will cmtry AWP for Astralis?

No. The announced plan is for cmtry to switch from AWPing to rifling, while phzy remains Astralis' primary AWPer. 

Why did Astralis bench HooXi and jabbi after winning a tournament?

The move was connected to the players' approaching contract expirations and stalled negotiations rather than simply the team's tournament performance. Astralis benched them five days after winning Stake Ranked Episode 4. 

Is Astralis still a Danish-majority team?

No. The active roster contains players from Denmark, Sweden, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine. HLTV reported that this is the first Astralis lineup without a Danish majority.