NEO on Astralis Rebuild After FaZe Exit: “I’ve Learned My Lesson”

Filip “NEO” Kubski is not treating his move to Astralis as a continuation of the work he did with FaZe. The Polish coach has entered a different team, with a different in-game leader and a different set of problems—and he believes his first coaching job showed him where his own approach must evolve.

Speaking ahead of his Astralis LAN debut at the BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 2 Finals, NEO reflected on the end of his nearly three-year spell with FaZe, his developing partnership with Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen and the challenge of imposing new ideas on an established lineup. Since the interview was recorded, Astralis have beaten paiN 2-1 to advance to the tournament semifinals, where MOUZ await.

His clearest response to the FaZe decision was also his most restrained.

“No grudges, it is what it is. But I’ve learned my lesson.”

NEO did not explain exactly what that lesson was. He instead pointed to a broader change in how he intends to work: thinking less like the veteran player he was for most of his career and developing a more distinct coaching perspective.

Quick Context

NEO was appointed by Astralis on July 16, joining a lineup of HooXi, Jakob “jabbi” Nygaard, Love “phzy” Smidebrant, Victor “Staehr” Staehr and Gytis “ryu” Glušauskas. Urszula “Xirreth” Klimczak also arrived as performance coach.

Why NEO’s FaZe Comments Matter

NEO’s dismissal came after FaZe opened 2026 with a 3-9 series record and exited the group stage of every tournament they played before the change. The downturn followed their surprise run to the StarLadder Budapest Major final at the end of 2025, but the momentum did not carry into the new season.

The decision was not presented publicly as something driven by the players. Finn “karrigan” Andersen later said the change had surprised the team and acknowledged that FaZe’s problems extended beyond one member of the coaching staff. He nevertheless suggested the organization wanted a more experienced, structured and demanding presence behind the roster.

NEO’s response avoids turning the interview into an argument about blame. He said he understood why an organization might change its coach when results deteriorate and declined to disclose the internal details of his removal.

That measured reaction does not mean his FaZe tenure lacked value. It was his first full coaching position, yet the team won four trophies during his spell, including IEM Sydney 2023, the CS Asia Championships, the Thunderpick World Championship and IEM Chengdu 2024. FaZe also reached the finals of the Copenhagen, Shanghai and Budapest Majors under his guidance.

The uncomfortable part is that those achievements were followed by an extended period of inconsistency. NEO now has to determine which parts of his FaZe approach can transfer to Astralis—and which need to be left behind.

Learning to Coach Beyond a Player’s Perspective

NEO spent more than two decades competing before moving behind the team. That experience gives him credibility and a deep understanding of high-level Counter-Strike, but he admitted it may also have affected how he initially viewed the coaching position.

At FaZe, he sometimes assessed situations through the eyes of a former player. His Astralis appointment has prompted him to reconsider that balance and accept that a coach must intervene, communicate and manage a group differently from someone sitting inside the server.

This is especially relevant because NEO’s entire coaching career before Astralis was tied to one in-game leader. His work at FaZe was built around karrigan, whose leadership style, tactical instincts and personality shaped the relationship between the captain and coach.

HooXi represents a fresh test. NEO described the two Danish IGLs as notably different people, even if there are some similarities in how they understand the game. He is still learning when HooXi wants direct input, how the Astralis captain manages the team and how responsibilities should be divided between them.

That process may prove more important than any immediate strategic overhaul. Astralis already had an established internal structure before NEO arrived. His job is not simply to import FaZe’s playbook, but to understand the existing system before deciding where stronger coaching influence is required.

Astralis Show Potential—and Familiar Instability

NEO’s first online matches with Astralis offered conflicting evidence.

The team reached the BLAST Bounty LAN through 2-1 victories over Nemesis and HOTU, but their StarLadder StarSeries Fall qualifier ended with consecutive 0-2 losses to HOTU and HEROIC. The contrasting results supported NEO’s view that Astralis possess enough quality to compete, but are not yet stable from series to series.

His assessment of the opening weeks was cautious rather than celebratory:

“There’s just plenty of work ahead of us.”

Astralis’ first LAN series under NEO reinforced that conclusion. They recovered from a 13-10 loss on Nuke to defeat paiN 19-17 on Inferno and 16-14 on Mirage, securing a 2-1 quarterfinal victory. The result took Astralis into their first LAN semifinal since PGL Bucharest, but both victories required overtime and the team allowed paiN repeated opportunities to extend the series.

The positive reading is that Astralis survived two high-pressure maps and closed the series after falling behind. The less flattering interpretation is that they made a winnable match far more difficult than necessary.

For a newly installed coach, both conclusions are useful. NEO has already seen that the lineup can recover during difficult moments, but he has also received clear examples of the decision-making and closing-round problems that must be addressed.

Cache Gives NEO an Immediate Area of Influence

One of the more specific parts of the interview concerned Cache, which has returned to the active competitive map pool.

NEO believes much of the map’s old tactical structure remains recognizable. New skybox possibilities and CS2 mechanics—particularly the ability to temporarily clear smoke grenades with high-explosive grenades—have changed some situations, but many of the fundamental rotations, executions and positional concepts remain familiar.

That gives Astralis a practical use for their coach’s playing history. NEO competed extensively on Cache during earlier versions of Counter-Strike and can help the lineup understand established approaches without forcing the players to rediscover every detail independently.

Astralis began NEO’s tenure with two wins from their first three official Cache maps. The most convincing came during their qualification series against HOTU, when they won the map 13-1 before eventually taking the match 2-1. paiN removed Cache from the veto in the BLAST Bounty quarterfinal, so it did not feature in NEO’s LAN debut.

Cache alone will not solve Astralis’ wider consistency issues. It does, however, offer an early example of how NEO’s experience can translate into a direct competitive advantage rather than remaining a purely motivational asset.

Astralis vs MOUZ: Recent Head-to-Head Context

Astralis’ semifinal against MOUZ is a significant step up from their opening LAN test.

MOUZ have won three of the teams’ four most recent recorded series: 2-1 at ESL Pro League Season 23, 2-0 at the 2025 BLAST Bounty Season 2 Finals and 2-1 at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025. Astralis’ only victory in that sequence was a 2-0 result at the BLAST Premier World Final in 2024.

Those results should not be treated as a direct prediction. Both organizations have changed personnel, and the current matchup features an Astralis roster built around HooXi, jabbi, phzy, Staehr and ryu against MOUZ’s PR, Spinx, torzsi, xelex and xertioN.

The more useful question is whether Astralis can maintain their composure against a stronger opponent. The paiN series showed that they can survive extended maps, but MOUZ are less likely to leave repeated openings unpunished.

Interesting Facts

• Astralis are only the second team NEO has coached. His first coaching appointment was the FaZe position he held from July 2023 until March 2026.
• NEO won the EMS One Katowice 2014 Major as a player with Virtus.pro before later reaching three CS2 Major finals as FaZe’s coach.
• His first Astralis LAN series contained 89 regulation and overtime rounds across Nuke, Inferno and Mirage.
• Astralis’ current international lineup contains three Danish players, Sweden’s phzy and Lithuania’s ryu.
• FaZe initially used analyst Dominik “GruBy” Świderski as interim coach after NEO’s departure before appointing Niclas “enkay J” Krumhorn in April.

What Comes Next?

The MOUZ semifinal offers NEO a much clearer measure of Astralis’ current level than the team’s mixed online schedule.

Astralis must improve their conversion of late-map advantages, particularly after giving paiN several routes back into Inferno and Mirage. Their veto will also reveal how quickly NEO has been able to influence the map pool and whether Cache is already considered a reliable option against elite opposition.

More broadly, the match will test the developing partnership between NEO and HooXi. The coach has made clear that he is still learning how his new captain operates. High-pressure LAN matches are where that understanding—or the absence of it—becomes most visible.

NEO is not promising a rapid restoration of the Astralis name. His first interview presents the project more realistically: a talented but uneven roster, a new coach-IGL relationship and a coach determined not to repeat every decision he made in his first job.

FAQ

Who is NEO?

Filip “NEO” Kubski is a Polish Counter-Strike coach and former professional player. He won the EMS One Katowice 2014 Major with Virtus.pro and currently serves as Astralis’ head coach.

Why did NEO leave FaZe?

FaZe removed NEO in March 2026 after a poor start to the season in which the team recorded three series victories from its first 12 matches. Neither FaZe nor NEO has publicly disclosed every internal detail behind the decision.

What did NEO say about his FaZe departure?

NEO indicated that he accepted the organization’s decision, expressed no resentment and said the experience had taught him lessons he intends to apply at Astralis.

How did Astralis reach the BLAST Bounty semifinals?

Astralis defeated paiN 2-1, losing Nuke 10-13 before winning Inferno 19-17 and Mirage 16-14 in overtime.

Who do Astralis play next?

Astralis’ semifinal opponent is MOUZ, who have won three of the organizations’ four most recent head-to-head series. The current rosters are substantially different from several of those previous meetings.