Astralis has signed Love ‘phzy‘ Smidebrant and Gytis ‘ryu‘ Glušauskas to its Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) roster for the 2026 season.
The signings follow the departure of Martin ‘stavn’ Lund, who mutually parted ways with the Danish esports organisation after spending four months on the sidelines.
Unveiled on January 8th, the additions of phzy and ryu mark the first time Astralis won’t field an all-Danish roster, as the organisation pivots towards an international lineup. Phzy is set to take on the role of the team’s AWPer, while ryu becomes its third rifler.
Phzy joins Astralis following a month-long stint representing 9INE, scoring a top-six finish at DraculaN Season 4. Prior to his short tenure at 9INE, the Swede spent the majority of 2025 competing under the Wildcard banner.
Ryu is relatively new to the Counter-Strike esports scene, as he begun his professional career in 2020. Since 2023, the 21-year-old Lithuanian represented Monte and Monte Gen. November 2025 saw the team secure a place at ESL Pro League Season 23 after winning the DreamHack Knockout Stockholm.
“We are entering the next phase with the team, and the signings of phzy and ryu should be seen in that context,” said Jonas Gundersen, CEO of Astralis. “In addition to being strong players, they bring new energy to th team, and they are players who can immediately adapt to the style of play we want to implement.”
What’s Next for Astralis
Currently ranked 15th in the Valve Regional Standings (VRS), the signings of phzy and ryu aim to elevate Astralis into the top ten, cementing its position as one of Europe’s top CS2 teams.
Phzy and ryu will make their debut for the organisation in the BLAST Bounty Season 1 closed qualifier kicking off on January 13th. From the 32 teams competing, eight will qualify for the LAN finals for a chance to win the first Tier 1 event of the year and climb the global standings.
