Danish esports organization Astralis have parted ways with their Director of Sports Kasper Hvidt and Analyst, Nicolai “HUNDEN” Petersen.
The reason for the dismissal was named as poor performance of the CS:GO team on the competitive scene.
After winning BLAST Premier: Fall 2020 and Intel Extreme Masters XV – Global Challenge, Astralis failed to achieve first place in any Major or other Tier-1 tournaments. However, they won two Tier-2 tournaments and a Qualifier for Intel Extreme Masters Dallas this year but this was not enough for Hvidt and HUNDEN to continue working in the Danish club.
Hvidt has been a part of Astralis since 2017. Before becoming an esports manager, he was a handball goalkeeper and also played for the Danish national team.
HUNDEN officially joined Astralis as an analyst in early January after The Esports Integrity Commission canceled the two-year participation ban imposed on him back in August 19, 2021.
However, esports journalist Richard Lewis insists HUNDEN started to build bridges with Astralis in 2021, where he was tied up in a contract with Heroic. ESIC banned him after he allegedly shared “confidential and sensitive information” as a Heroic’s coach.
“Kasper is almost an institution, not just in Astralis but in professional esports. His ideas about the approach to a professional performance culture have definitely had an impact on the teams’ historical performance and results, and today, many of the methods are almost industry standards. Together with the players and staff, Kasper will always be remembered as one of those who helped create the first Astralis era, and we owe him the greatest thanks for his efforts. I hope that this is recognized by all,” says Anders Hørsholt, CEO of Astralis.
