br0 Returns To Astralis As device Sits Out Ahead Of The Shanghai Major

With device sitting out, Alexander "⁠br0⁠" Bro will be returning to the main roster of the team. Before learning about device’s situation, many were initially surprised as br0 was subbed out in the first place for Casper "⁠cadiaN⁠" Møller, taking over his role as the IGL, so if br0 were to come back, it’d make sense if cadiaN sits out. However, regardless of the controversial circumstances surrounding br0 getting benched, he is now part of the team once again, likely as a secondary caller.

What did device say

Astralis’s star player took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce that he won’t be partaking in the upcoming Perfect World Shanghai Major.

“To my fans and the community, I’m deeply saddened to share that I won’t be able to participate in the Shanghai Major 2024 due to a recurrence of stress-related health challenges. This has been a difficult decision to make, but after discussions with a medical team, I know that stepping back to focus on my health is the right choice,” he began the thread.

“I’d like to share more details about my relapse; it started when traveling to Singapore. The first nights I was having issues with sleep and I wouldn’t be getting more than a few hours each night. As the week progressed I would progressively get worse symptoms including less sleep, cramps, heart palpitations and extreme fatigue. I hoped and expected these symptoms would get better as soon as I got home, but I have to face the reality that I’m still not at a point where it’s realistic for me to compete,” he elaborated on his experience in Singapore.

“This season has been tough and I have not been prioritizing myself enough. Honestly I can’t tell if I feel better or worse having faced a similar situation before. I know what it takes to get back and how amazing it feels on the other side. On the other hand I know how hard this process is and how much it wears on my mind. Most of all this hurts the most knowing I’m letting down the team and our fans in the most important part of the season. These are the people that are fueling my passion to return and having to disappoint them is heartbreaking for me,” he admits his own negligence when it comes to his health.

“I expect to return in the beginning of the new season next year. For now it is time to rest before planning a sustainable return. Finally I would like to thank my amazing teammates and colleagues at Astralis for being very understanding and supportive. I’m very grateful that br0 has stepped in and I will be supporting the guys from home and I hope you guys will too,” he ends on a positive note.

This is not the first time

It should also be noted that this is not the first time device has gone on a break from Counter-Strike. Some might not remember but in late 2017, device skipped out on the last three events of the season, BLAST Pro Series Copenhagen, the ESL Pro League Season 6 Finals and the ECS Season 4 Finals, and returned later at the Boston Major.

Then a few years later, in late 2021, while playing for Ninjas in Pyjamas, device also withdrew from IEM Winter before the semi-finals and missed the BLAST Premier World Final some time later. Similar to right now, he cited that his mental health had "taken a hammering" that year because of personal reasons and stress, but eventually, he returned in October 2022 as part of Astralis’s starting lineup.

Regardless, we hope device has a smooth recovery and all the best for Astralis as they will be playing their opening game against 9 Pandas at the Europe RMR B.