Astralis has announced Emil ‘Magisk‘ Reif has returned to its Counter-Strike 2 roster after being benched by Team Falcons in June.
The move follows Astralis player Martin ‘stavn‘ Lund stepping back from the starting lineup due to personal circumstances.
Magisk is no stranger to competing under the Astralis banner, having represented the organisation between 2018 and 2021, winning three Major titles and a wealth of other Tier 1 tournaments during the game’s Global Offensive era.
The change follows a downward turn in form for Astralis after scoring back-to-back second-place finishes at PGL Astana 2025 and FISSURE Playground 1. Since then, results have worsened, with joint-last place eliminations from IEM Cologne 2025 and the Esports World Cup.
“I’m super excited to wear the Astralis jersey once again. A new chapter for me and I’m glad to be able to help out the boys for the remainder of the season,” said Magisk on social media following the news.
Magisk’s most recent appearance at a CS2 event was the BLAST.tv Austin Major, where Team Falcons crashed out with a top-22 placement in the second stage.
What Next For Astralis?
Magisk will return to competition when Astralis competes at FISSURE Playground 2, from September 12th to 21st, 2025. Currently ranked 9th in the Valve Regional Standings (VRS), a solid performance in Serbia has the possibility to solidify the team’s place among the top 32.
For Stavn, it’s unclear when the Danish player will return to the starting roster. After joining in 2023, Stavn has shown signs of potential but has struggled to achieve consistency during the Playoff stages.
Astralis’ roster change also comes amid a period of uncertainty for the organisation. In April, a Dust2.dk report revealed the organisation was exploring a sale. Despite receiving significant investment, failing to qualify for the previous Counter-Strike Majors is said to have played a role in the organisation’s struggles.
