Astralis Sign Snappi

Astralis have signed former Heroic in-game leader, Snappi, to temporarily replace Xyp9x on the starting roster. The decision to replace the Danes' resident clutch master comes as a result of reported burnout and stress symptoms that the 24-year-old has been experiencing as of late. Xyp9x is the second of two core members of Astralis to step down from competing as in-game leader, gla1ve, took a step back from competition earlier this month due to health issues.

The organization didn't comment on the duration of Snappi's stay; however, it is speculated that he will depart upon es3tag's arrival, scheduled to take place at the start of July. As a reminder, es3tag was signed as part of Astralis' decision to transition to a six-man roster, the organisation's first roster adjustment since the addition of Magisk back in a distant February 2018.

Snappi's addition also marks a reunion with former Heroic teammate, JuGi, who was slotted into the organisation's starting roster immediately after gla1ve's aforementioned medical leave announcement. The two previously shared a roster back in 2018, playing their latest event together in the WESG 2018 World Finals, where the former iteration of OpTic was able to achieve top eight in China, securing $10,000 in prize money.

In addition to a significant rehaul in the Astralis camp, this adjustment poses a list of questions, perhaps most importantly regarding Snappi's potential signing with Mongolian organisation, TIGER. According to a report from HLTV.org, the Dane was to to be bought out of his contract with Heroic, set to join the Mongolian trio of dobu, kabal and erkaSt, as well as British AWPer, smooya. His temporary addition to Astralis throws a spanner in TIGER's plans to add experience to their lineup, but it is worth pointing out that the Mongolian team does not have scheduled official matches on the immediate horizon.

Image via DreamHack