Professional CSGO player Lukas ‘Gla1ve’ Rossander has announced that he is stepping down from the starting lineup of Astralis temporarily, due to ongoing stress and burnout, handing a ‘sick note’ to the organization.
The Danish CS legend revealed in a Twitlonger on May 19 that he has been suffering from symptoms related to stress for a “longer period of time” and that along with his doctor, has decided he needs a break.
He has said that his time away from the team will last at least three months, until he feels ready and prepared to return to the fold and compete at the highest level again.
He has been starring alongside the renowned Astralis lineup since 2016, having won four CS:GO Majors in that time, including an unprecedented run of three Major victories in a row.
But the time, effort and dedication required to dominate at the top is capable of taking its toll on anyone, even a seasoned professional like Gla1ve.
Toughest decision of my life.
Read: https://t.co/iO61jvOMzV
— Łukasz Rossander (@gla1ve_csgo) May 19, 2020
Gla1ve thanked his teammates for understanding his decision. He explained that he had found it hard to put his health first, but knew it was the right decision.
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Astralis have recently been recruiting more players to their roster, with Jakob ‘JUGi’ Hansen joining the team earlier in May. Magisk may now be expected to take over the role of in-game leader for the squad in Gla1ve’s absence.
The organization has confirmed that JUGi will be taking his place in the starting lineup starting with DreamHack Masters Spring 2020, which begins on May 19. Patrick “es3tag” Hansen will also join the organization from Heroic when his contract expires on July 1.
Coach Danny ‘zonic’ Sørensen said “You might not see it from the outside but there are so many tasks on a CS-team and many players are pressured beyond what is healthy.” He also explained that helping players through this had been a “focus” for them, but that there is “still a need for improvement.”
He also reassured fans that they had been preparing for this decision from Gla1ve, and knew “for a while” that he would not be taking part in DreamHack Masters Spring “Spirits are high, and even though it can be a big task to include a new player, we are entering the tournament with the ambition to win it,” Zonic said.