HooXi: “All roles fit better now—but give us time to settle into this lineup”

HooXi: “All roles fit better now—but give us time to settle into this lineup”

August 14, 2025 — Following Astralis’s rollercoaster run—an early exit at IEM Cologne, followed by a run to the BLAST Bounty S2 LAN finals—in-game leader Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen says team cohesion is improving under their refreshed roles, though steady results remain on the horizon. 

Despite being edged out 2–0 by MOUZ to close their studio campaign, HooXi reflected positively: “I didn’t feel today like we didn’t show up at all… if we played 5% better on Nuke, it’s a very different best-of-three.” He acknowledged the margins separating Astralis from elite contenders. 

Role overhaul underway

Since joining Astralis full-time earlier this summer, HooXi has overseen a substantial role rebalancing:

• jabbi has settled into anchor responsibilities smoothly, surprising HooXi with how quickly he adapted.

• Staehr transitioned into star positions—recognizing the pressure but embracing the challenge. As we learned in a related Staehr interview, he remarked: “Now I actually have to perform, and that’s kind of nice.”

• Stavn, formerly very active, now balances mid-line calls, sometimes serving as the team's “joker.”

HooXi believes these changes better suit each player's skills, but warns: “The transition will take some time. Six months will be a fair assessment… after two it’s hard to say.” 

Chemistry takes time—but community optimism grows

Since his arrival, HooXi’s leadership has visibly reshaped Astralis. As Staehr praised in a separate interview: “He enables every single one of us… that’s what an IGL should do.” His system of combining structure with adaptable freedom has reenergized the roster and community alike. 

Looking ahead

Though Astralis were sub-.500 in recent offline matches, HooXi remains measured in his expectation-setting: “What we need to beat these top three teams is better decision-making in XvX situations… sometimes we’re mechanically stronger than them.” Time is the key variable. 

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Summary:
Astralis are in a restructuring phase under new in-game leader HooXi. Though the team’s role assignments now better match individual talent—with jabbi anchoring, Staehr in star positions, and Stavn adapting midway—itinerant early results persist. HooXi emphasizes that quarters, not hours, of adjustment are needed, suggesting a six-month window for a full assessment. Community feedback, especially from Staehr, underscores newfound confidence in HooXi's leadership approach. If Astralis can sharpen decision-making in high-pressure XvX rounds, they may yet translate this role clarity into consistent showings again.