Dupreeh: “I’ve never been a fan of the best-of-five format”

The Astralis roster addressed media today following their flawless progression to the IEM Katowice 2020 semifinals, discussing coach Danny “zonic” Sørensen’s recent publication, and explaining why the removal of Katowice’s live audience represents both a disappointing yet necessary choice by tournament organizers.

Entering IEM Katowice after a disastrous BLAST Premier Group B elimination where they fell to both Complexity and Natus Vincere with a collective 4-1 map deficit, the Danish squad quickly regained form, demolishing Katowice’s group stage opponents without conceding a single map.

Astralis Roster

• Nicolai ‘dev1ce” Reedtz
• Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen
• Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth
• Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander
• Emil “Magisk” Reif

Following the BLAST Premier collapse, what psychological and strategic adjustments enabled this flawless Katowice campaign?

glaive: The turnaround feels incredibly satisfying. It’s been many months since we achieved three consecutive match victories without map losses. Returning to our comfort zone where we consistently win opponents’ map selections provides crucial confidence reinforcement.

Our current focus centers on semifinal preparation and maintaining this performance level. Ultimately, tournament victory matters most—individual map losses become irrelevant in championship contexts. Still, maintaining perfect statistics certainly boosts team morale.

With potential for a third Katowice championship, does competing in an empty arena diminish the achievement’s significance?

gla1ve: Honestly, no comparison exists. The prestige remains intact, but the emotional experience differs completely without crowd energy and atmosphere. We obviously feel disappointed by this development, but respect the safety-focused decision made by authorities.

During IEM Beijing you stated Mirage wasn’t in your rotation. Do the recent Mirage modifications create advantages for Astralis?

gali1ve: Absolutely. [Laughs]

dev1ce: Negative.

gla1ve: Our Mirage execution demonstrates strong capabilities, though we might maintain it as ban selection. Future developments remain uncertain, but Vertigo currently receives primary strategic attention over Mirage.

Mirage remains our permanent ban selection, though potential exists for its reintroduction to our map pool post-major. Final decisions await post-tournament evaluation meetings.

Are you dedicating increased resources to Vertigo development despite Valve’s continuous map alterations?

Zonic: Affirmative. Regrettably, Valve’s repeated Vertigo modifications necessitate additional server practice time. However, we invest heavily in theoretical development and opponent strategy analysis—standard practice among elite teams.

Whenever prominent organizations capable of Vertigo play face each other officially, we meticulously study their tactical approaches. Meta shifts occur frequently as teams regularly innovate their setups.

Consequently, yes—we allocate substantial sessions to Vertigo refinement. The map demands ongoing development, and most squads share this requirement. Our team maintains clear conceptual frameworks for optimal map execution.

Dev1ce, the AWP’s movement velocity post-shot received nerfing this week. How does this modification influence AWPer tactical approaches?

 Dev1ce: We conducted practice sessions with the updated mechanics today. Being completely transparent, I believe the AWP adjustment was warranted, though other weapons demonstrate greater imbalance. Tournament observations confirm SG 553 dominance.

The AWP alteration likely increases SG prevalence. Substantial weapon rebalancing requires implementation in my assessment. However, the change definitely disadvantages certain elite AWPers like s1mple. His close-range AWP style previously benefited from the post-shot mobility advantage.

Players must now employ smarter positioning and ensure shot accuracy. Previously, missed shots could still provide advantages through opponent pursuit and easier secondary engagements. Currently, missed shots leave players vulnerable to trade kills.

Following your BLAST performances, what preparatory changes produced this mental and competitive transformation?

Gla1ve:
We initially believed our BLAST preparation demonstrated adequate quality, winning numerous practice matches pre-tournament. Post-competition analysis revealed structural deficiencies in our practice approach.

Implementing enhanced structure into our training matches facilitated this event’s success. Unstructured play against skilled, warmed-up individual talents results in severe punishment. Our structured methodology aligns perfectly with our team’s strengths.

Could the BLAST underperformance represent disguised beneficial development?

gla1ve:
Well, Madrid’s prize pool reaches substantial figures [Laughs]. Perhaps the outcome proved advantageous.

Do you prefer facing opponents in best-of-three rather than best-of-five formats?

dupreeh: Personally, I’ve consistently disliked best-of-five series. The format delivers excessive Counter-Strike content for both competitors and spectators lacking full game immersion.

Consequently, best-of-three remains my preferred competitive structure. Astralis’s historical strength involves mastery across our entire map arsenal. Best-of-five matches historically favored our team.

However, best-of-three engagements enable concentrated focus on mutually preferred maps. Fortunately, we possess extensive tactical systems and map expertise. Format selection doesn’t significantly impact our competitive readiness.

zonic, your recently released book raises questions about future esports publications. Do you anticipate increased literary attention toward competitive gaming?

zonic: Hopefully. Many newcomers fail recognizing esports’ extensive historical foundation. From Denmark’s national perspective, historical competitive knowledge has largely disappeared since my playing days.

Encouraging veteran competitors to document their experiences benefits the entire ecosystem. Preserving esports history through first-hand accounts ensures comprehensive competitive legacy documentation.

Which veteran player’s autobiography would interest you most?

zonic: Clearly, any “Golden Five” member from Poland. Particularly Neo, or alternatively TaZ. I’d enthusiastically consume their personal narratives.

Hopefully one publishes their story eventually. These accounts provide invaluable internal team perspectives unavailable through external observation.

Will spectator absence here in Katowice influence your gameplay execution?

gla1ve: We’d prefer competing before live audiences, but defer to organizational guidance from Astralis management and ESL officials. Their comprehensive situation control allows focused competitive preparation.

dev1ce: Group stage matches proceeded without crowds. We’ve previously participated in multiple crowdless tournaments. Gla1ve thrives on audience energy—it enhances individual performance. However, we’ve adapted to spectator-free environments and will manage effectively.

Do semifinal contenders threaten your top ranking position?

dev1ce: Honestly, tournament victory remains our primary objective. Maintaining #1 ranking provides additional satisfaction.

So you believe nobody can dethrone your top position?

dev1ce:
Our premier status? Negative, negative, negative. No organization can seize it [Laughs].

Strong competitors like Liquid demonstrate improved form compared to late-2019 performances, while Na`Vi excels at BLAST Premier and here.

Certainly possibilities exist. However, maintaining our current performance level makes ranking displacement extremely challenging for opponents.

Recalling BLAST Sao Paulo, many Brazilian supporters feel Astralis usurped MIBR’s throne. Could this create complications at ESL One Rio?

We’ve previously experienced hostile environments—Brazil provides unique competitive experiences. Sao Paulo’s situation shouldn’t worsen since the stage positioned extremely close to spectators.

Provided spectators remain seated during matches preventing object throwing or direct confrontation.

The Sao Paulo crowd demonstrated exceptional atmosphere despite supporting MIBR. Their passion created memorable competitive moments.

Hopefully we encounter MIBR in spectacular matches before enthusiastic crowds. As Danish competitors from a smaller nation, we rarely experience home crowd advantages.

Additionally, we’re accustomed to opposing hometown favorites. ESL One Rio promises tremendous entertainment as usual.

No reproduction without permission：Games Guides Website » Dupreeh: “I’ve never been a fan of the best-of-five format” Astralis reveals comeback strategies, map preferences, and AWP insights from their dominant IEM Katowice performance