Astralis’ Staehr Praises New Signings RYU & phzy After Promising Cluj-Napoca Start

Astralis’ Staehr Praises New Signings RYU & phzy After Promising Cluj-Napoca Start

Astralis’ stand-in Victor “Staehr” Staehr has spoken highly of the team’s recent signings — Swedish AWPer Love “phzy” Smidebrant and Lithuanian rifler Gytis “ryu” Glušauskas — expressing genuine surprise at how well they’ve fit into the lineup since joining the iconic Danish organization.

Astralis are entering their first months with a largely international roster, moving away from an all-Danish core after parts of the team — including former stars Emil “Magisk” Reif and Nicolai “device” Reedtz — departed in the off-season.

The new configuration has already competed in three tournaments. After a slow start at BLAST Bounty S1, where results were underwhelming, Astralis showed improvement by reaching the top eight at IEM Krakow earlier this year. At that event, the squad combined experience from Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen and Jakob “jabbi” Nygaard with fresh firepower from phzy and ryu.

Currently competing at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026, Astralis hold a 1-1 record in the tournament’s group stage, narrowly losing to Natus Vincere before earning a 2-0 win over 3DMAX.

Staehr on the New Additions

In an interview with HLTV, Staehr said he had limited personal experience with phzy and ryu prior to signing them — no LAN history and no prior communication — and admitted he wasn’t sure what to expect.

“I had no idea what we could get. I’m very surprised in a good way. Both are so good individually.” — Staehr on phzy & ryu’s impact.

Staehr also touched on preconceived concerns around international roster communication. While many lower-tier international squads struggle to coordinate beyond mechanical aim play, he noted both newcomers bring “very good vocal strengths,” offering more than just fragging power.

Match Insight & Team Dynamics

Staehr dissected Astralis’ win over 3DMAX, describing the final round as chaotic due to lack of shared information and unclear rotations. Still, he highlighted how Astralis’ strategic play on maps like Overpass has been convincing, underscoring the team’s evolving cohesion.

The Dane also attributed positive momentum to improved morale, suggesting that key performers such as jabbi have rediscovered confidence and that the entire roster believes they can make a deeper run at Cluj-Napoca.

Background: Signings & Context

Astralis made headlines last month when they officially signed both phzy and ryu to solidify the roster and pivot toward English-based communication, a notable shift for a team long known for its Danish core.

phzy’s move to Astralis followed a turbulent 2025 in which he had stints with multiple teams, including Wildcard and 9INE, before settling into a stable role. In earlier comments, phzy acknowledged the learning process for the team and emphasized steady improvements within Astralis’ new environment.