Dev1ce leaves Astralis to join NiP in shock move reportedly worth $1 million

❘ Updated: 2021-04-23T16:00:09

ESL

Legendary CS:GO player Nicolai ‘dev1ce’ Reedtz has left Danish organization Astralis, after over 6 years, to join Ninjas in Pyjamas.

The news came as a shock to fans, despite rumblings of an Astralis roster change afoot, it wasn’t expected that dev1ce would leave the organization entirely.

It’s no secret that Astralis have had a major dip in performances in 2021, stretching back into last year too, but to lose their star player is not what fans would have hoped for.

Astralis revealed that the transfer was “a personal request” from dev1ce himself, who wanted to work out of Stockholm and “still be able to have a team and organization close to him,”

Kasper Hvidt, Director of Sports in Astralis, said: “Nicolai has been a part of Astralis and the core of the team since day one, and he has been vital to the culture and legacy of the team. He is one of the greatest players of all time, and for any team to part ways with a player and a person like him is never easy in any way.

“His personality and contribution to Astralis, though, is also the reason why we have made the decision to help him out and arrange a transfer to NiP. For personal reasons he has asked us for the possibility to transfer to an organization closer to his home in Stockholm, and after lengthy talks, it became clear that this is what he felt is best for him. We immediately contacted NiP to see if there was any way we could come to an agreement of a transfer – and here we are.”

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Dev1ce said: “I would like to thank Astralis for their understanding and cooperation in all of this; I enter a project I truly believe in, and I am looking forward to finding the stability and good energy of having a more balanced work life. I can’t wait to get started with my new team and teammates!”

Closing their statement, Astralis said that both teams “agreed not to comment on financial details.” However, reports have claimed that sources price the deal at around $1 million buyout. Dev1ce joins NiP on a three-year contract, the Swedish org confirmed.

During his time with Astralis, dev1ce cemented his place in the CS:GO hall of fame, consistently their standout performer in a team stacked with world-class talent.

While Astralis’s overall performance hasn’t been up to their usual high standard, NiP fans will still expect big things from their new superstar signing.

Shortly after the announcement, it was confirmed that nawwk had been benched by NiP, and available for transfer.