cmtry Reportedly Set to Join Astralis on Loan as Rifler

Nikita “cmtry” Samolotov is reportedly set to join Astralis on loan from FUT, with the 19-year-old Ukrainian expected to make a significant role change by moving away from the AWP and playing as a rifler.

The move was initially reported by Sébastien “KRL” Perez and subsequently corroborated by HLTV’s sources. Dust2.dk has also reported through its own sources that Astralis are bringing in cmtry on loan.

The transfer has not been officially announced by Astralis or FUT at the time of writing, so the deal should be treated as reported rather than completed.

Quick Summary

Detail	Information
Player	Nikita “cmtry” Samolotov
Age	19
Nationality	Ukrainian
Current organization	FUT
Reported destination	Astralis
Transfer type	Loan
Expected role	Rifler
Previous primary role	AWPer
Potential player replaced	Jakob “jabbi” Nygaard
Initial report	KRL
Additional reporting	HLTV, Dust2.dk
Report date	October 7, 2026
Official confirmation	No — reported
Astralis next event	Stake Pulse Beat III
Event dates	October 12–17, 2026

What happened with cmtry and Astralis?

Astralis are reportedly working on a loan agreement to bring cmtry into their Counter-Strike 2 lineup.

KRL first reported the move before HLTV said its own sources could confirm that the Ukrainian is set to join Astralis on loan.

The report arrived only hours after HLTV revealed that Astralis were searching for immediate replacements for Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen and Jakob “jabbi” Nygaard.

According to that reporting, contract negotiations between Astralis and the pair had reached an impasse. HooXi’s contract reportedly runs until the end of 2026, while jabbi’s deal is said to expire at the end of November.

Astralis have not officially announced the departures of either player.

That distinction is important: cmtry’s arrival, the reported departures and Astralis’ resulting lineup remain subject to official confirmation.

cmtry could make a major role change at Astralis

The most interesting part of the reported transfer is not simply the organization cmtry may join.

It is the weapon he is expected to use.

HLTV reports that cmtry would join Astralis as a rifler, moving away from the AWP role he has occupied since joining NAVI Youth in 2023.

That would represent a significant competitive reset for the Ukrainian.

cmtry became known at tier-one level primarily as FUT’s sniper, but his recent performances had fallen below the level he showed during the team's best tournament run.

A move to Astralis could therefore give him an opportunity to establish himself in a different role rather than immediately competing for another primary-AWP position.

Exactly which positions and responsibilities cmtry would inherit within Astralis’ map pool have not been confirmed.

Exact rifling role: TBD.

Why is cmtry available?

cmtry became available after FUT changed its starting lineup at the beginning of October.

FUT benched the Ukrainian on October 1 while bringing in Álvaro “SunPayus” García.

The move followed a difficult stretch for cmtry after his breakthrough earlier in the season.

His current HLTV profile lists a 0.96 Rating 3.0 across 30 maps over the preceding three months. That recent number should be viewed as a time-specific snapshot rather than a permanent measure of his level.

His peak in 2026 looked very different.

From PGL Bucharest MVP to the FUT bench

cmtry’s most important individual achievement came at PGL Bucharest 2026.

FUT won the tournament, and cmtry earned his first HLTV MVP award after recording a 1.28 Rating 3.0 across the event.

He finished the tournament with 195 kills to 138 deaths, 79.1 ADR and a 76.4% KAST according to HLTV’s MVP breakdown.

There is also a direct Astralis connection.

FUT defeated Astralis in the PGL Bucharest grand final, meaning the organization reportedly trying to acquire cmtry has already experienced one of the strongest performances of his career from the opposite side of the server.

In that four-map final, cmtry posted map ratings of 1.39 on Dust2, 1.23 on Nuke, 1.37 on Mirage and 1.61 on Ancient.

That tournament remains the clearest evidence of his ceiling at top-level LAN competition.

It should not, however, be treated as representative of his subsequent form. His results became substantially less consistent later in the season, ultimately preceding FUT’s decision to replace him with SunPayus.

cmtry career timeline

Date	Development	Status
2023	cmtry begins playing the AWP after joining NAVI Youth	Confirmed
2025	Competes under NAVI Junior/ex-NAVI Junior	Confirmed
April 11, 2026	FUT defeat Astralis to win PGL Bucharest	Confirmed
April 11, 2026	cmtry earns his first HLTV MVP award	Confirmed
August 23, 2026	FUT finish runner-up at Esports World Cup	Confirmed
October 1, 2026	FUT bench cmtry and add SunPayus	Confirmed
October 7, 2026	KRL reports cmtry is heading to Astralis	Reported
October 7, 2026	HLTV sources corroborate the loan report	Reported
October 7, 2026	Dust2.dk also reports the expected loan	Reported
October 12–17, 2026	Stake Pulse Beat III, Astralis’ next scheduled event	Scheduled

Why the reported cmtry-Astralis move matters

The timing makes this more than an isolated player transfer.

Astralis have just won Stake Ranked Episode 4, defeating Nemiga 3-1 in the grand final and ending a lengthy drought without a LAN tournament victory.

Despite that success, HLTV reports that the organization is preparing to replace HooXi and jabbi after contract-extension talks stalled.

That creates an unusual situation: Astralis could make a two-player change immediately after producing one of their most significant results in years.

cmtry appears to be one half of that potential rebuild.

The other reported target is former MOUZ and Liquid in-game leader Kamil “siuhy” Szkaradek, who is being considered as a potential replacement for HooXi.

Neither move has been officially confirmed.

Reported Astralis roster if cmtry joins

If the reported changes involving cmtry and siuhy are completed, Astralis could field the following lineup:

Player	Nationality	Expected status
Victor “Staehr” Staehr	Denmark	Active
Love “phzy” Smidebrant	Sweden	Active
Gytis “ryu” Glušauskas	Lithuania	Active
Kamil “siuhy” Szkaradek	Poland	Reported target
Nikita “cmtry” Samolotov	Ukraine	Reportedly joining on loan
Filip “NEO” Kubski	Poland	Coach

This is a projected roster based on current reporting, not an officially announced Astralis lineup.

HooXi and jabbi remain listed as Astralis players at the time of writing.

Tactical impact: what does switching cmtry to rifle mean?

The reported role change creates one of the biggest questions surrounding the move.

cmtry has played with the AWP since 2023, but Astralis already have Love “phzy” Smidebrant in their lineup.

HLTV therefore reports that cmtry would switch to rifling rather than challenge phzy for the primary sniper role.

There are two sides to that decision.

On one hand, it removes the immediate issue of fitting two primary AWPers into the same lineup. It could also give cmtry an opportunity to rebuild after struggling for consistency during the later stages of his FUT tenure.

On the other hand, changing roles while simultaneously joining a new international roster introduces uncertainty.

There is not yet enough information to establish whether cmtry would directly inherit jabbi’s positions, take supportive spots, receive aggressive rifling responsibilities or trigger broader positional changes.

Those details should remain TBD until Astralis confirms the roster and the team begins competing.

Potential impact on Astralis

Firepower

Replacing jabbi with cmtry would not be a straightforward like-for-like move based on recent form.

HLTV listed jabbi at a 1.09 Rating 3.0 across 65 maps over the previous three months when the transfer story broke, while cmtry stood at 0.96 across 30 maps.

Those figures come from different competitive situations and roles, so they should not be used alone to predict performance.

The larger question is whether Astralis believe cmtry can rediscover the ceiling he demonstrated at PGL Bucharest while transitioning back toward rifling.

Leadership

cmtry is not being reported as Astralis’ new in-game leader.

The leadership change is instead connected to siuhy, whom Astralis are reportedly considering as HooXi’s replacement.

If both moves happen, Astralis would therefore be changing both their leadership structure and one of their primary rifling pieces at the same time.

International identity

A lineup containing Staehr, phzy, ryu, siuhy and cmtry would continue Astralis’ shift away from its historic all-Danish identity.

The projected five would include players from Denmark, Sweden, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine.

Tournament impact

Astralis do not have much time before their next scheduled tournament.

Stake Pulse Beat III runs from October 12–17 in Stockholm, Sweden.

Astralis are currently listed among the 16 participating teams, and their first scheduled match is against Sashi on October 14.

Whether cmtry — or any other reported signing — will be registered and available for that match remains TBD pending official confirmation.

That makes roster-registration news one of the most important immediate developments to follow.

VRS and Major context

Astralis entered the roster reports from a stronger competitive position after winning Stake Ranked Episode 4.

HLTV reported that the title moved Astralis into the global VRS top 10 and left the organization close to securing qualification for the PGL Major Singapore.

Because Valve Regional Standings are dynamic, a precise ranking should be treated as a dated snapshot and updated separately rather than presented as a permanent figure.

The larger implication is clear: Astralis are reportedly considering substantial roster changes while already holding an important position in the Major qualification race.

Any effect of the roster changes on tournament eligibility, invitations or ranking status should be assessed only after the transfers and relevant registrations are officially confirmed.

Key details

Question	Current answer
Is cmtry joining Astralis?	Reported by KRL and corroborated by HLTV; also reported by Dust2.dk
Is the move official?	No
Permanent transfer or loan?	Reportedly a loan
Current organization	FUT
Why is cmtry available?	Benched after FUT signed SunPayus
Expected Astralis role	Rifler
Will cmtry remain an AWPer?	Reportedly no
Astralis primary AWPer	phzy
Exact rifle positions	TBD
Reported outgoing player	jabbi
Other reported Astralis target	siuhy
Astralis next event	Stake Pulse Beat III
First scheduled match	vs. Sashi, October 14
Major implications	Astralis are in a strong qualification position; exact impact TBD

What changes now?

Nothing should be treated as official until Astralis or FUT confirms the agreement.

If the loan is completed as reported, however, cmtry would leave FUT’s bench and receive an immediate opportunity to return to active tier-one competition.

More importantly, he would do so in a different role.

For Astralis, the move could form part of a wider restructuring rather than a one-player adjustment. The organization is reportedly seeking replacements for both HooXi and jabbi, with siuhy linked to the leadership vacancy and cmtry connected to the second roster spot.

That means the eventual lineup could have a different caller, a new rifler and a substantially different tactical structure despite Astralis’ recent tournament victory.

What to watch next

The first development to monitor is official confirmation from Astralis or FUT. Until then, the loan remains a sourced report.

The second is whether Astralis proceed with both reported changes. cmtry’s fit looks different depending on whether siuhy also arrives and HooXi and jabbi both leave.

The third is role distribution. Confirmation that cmtry will rifle answers the weapon question, but not which CT positions, T-side responsibilities or space allocation he will receive.

Finally, Stake Pulse Beat III provides a near-term deadline. Astralis are scheduled to face Sashi on October 14, making the final registered roster for that event the clearest immediate indicator of whether the reported overhaul will happen straight away.

Related teams, players and events

cmtry: 19-year-old Ukrainian currently benched by FUT and reportedly set for an Astralis loan.

Astralis: The Danish organization reportedly seeking immediate replacements for HooXi and jabbi despite recently winning Stake Ranked Episode 4.

FUT: cmtry’s current organization. FUT replaced him in the active lineup with SunPayus on October 1.

SunPayus: Spanish AWPer who took cmtry’s place in FUT’s starting five.

jabbi: Astralis rifler whose contract reportedly expires at the end of November and who could be replaced as part of the changes.

HooXi: Astralis’ current in-game leader and the second player reportedly facing replacement.

siuhy: Former MOUZ and Liquid IGL reportedly on Astralis’ shortlist as a potential HooXi replacement.

phzy: Astralis’ current primary AWPer, making cmtry’s reported transition to rifling particularly relevant.

PGL Bucharest 2026: cmtry’s breakthrough tournament, where FUT defeated Astralis in the final and cmtry earned the HLTV MVP award.

Stake Pulse Beat III: Astralis’ next scheduled event, running October 12–17 in Stockholm.

FAQ

Is cmtry joining Astralis?

According to reports, yes, but the move is not official yet. KRL initially reported that cmtry would join Astralis on loan, and HLTV subsequently said its sources corroborated the information. Dust2.dk has separately reported the expected loan.

Will cmtry play AWP for Astralis?

Reportedly not. HLTV states that cmtry is expected to switch to rifling if the loan is completed. Astralis currently use phzy as their primary AWPer.

Who would cmtry replace on Astralis?

The wider reporting indicates that Astralis are seeking replacements for HooXi and jabbi. cmtry is expected to fill one of the two openings, while siuhy has been linked with the leadership position. Astralis have not officially confirmed the final lineup.

Why did FUT bench cmtry?

FUT benched cmtry on October 1 when the organization signed SunPayus. The change followed a difficult period of individual form for cmtry after his standout PGL Bucharest campaign.

When could cmtry debut for Astralis?

Astralis’ next scheduled tournament is Stake Pulse Beat III in Stockholm from October 12–17, with Sashi currently listed as their opponent on October 14. Whether cmtry will play at the event remains TBD until the transfer and event roster are confirmed.