Astralis triumphs in the first international CS2 tournament of Copenhagen Gaming Week

Since the beginning of January 2024, aspiring challengers from Germany, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark have competed for the opportunity to face two of the Nordic region's biggest Counter-Strike teams: Danish Astralis and Swedish NiP - short for Ninjas in Pyjamas.

The tournament, created and produced in collaboration with the globally renowned esports organizer BLAST, has gradually grown in size over the past weeks, from initial online qualification rounds to showdown matches in Copenhagen, culminating in the grand final stage with more than 2,500 spectators at Bella Arena. This venue served as the backdrop for the esports segment throughout the entire weekend of the inaugural Copenhagen Gaming Week.

In the semifinals on Saturday, January 13, Astralis defeated the German team Alternate 2-0, while the Swedish powerhouse NiP eliminated the compatriots from Lilmix with the same score.

Thus, the final battle on Sunday January 14 unfolded between the two Nordic star teams. The match was intentionally delayed by 10 minutes, allowing attendees at the packed arena to witness Sunday’s celebration of King Frederik X’s ascension to the Danish throne on the big screen before determining “the kings” of the first international Counter-Strike 2 tournament at Copenhagen Gaming Week.

The battle featured double overtime in the first 'Overpass' map before everything was decided in the second map, 'Mirage.' In the end, it became clear that the Swedes couldn't match up against the red and white favorites, with the Copenhagen Gaming Week concluding on Sunday with a final score of 2-0.

Thus, Copenhagen Gaming Week not only provided an opportunity to witness Astralis' first live tournament matches on Danish soil with its new lineup but also the team's first significant victory in 2024.

In the fall of 2023, Astralis acquired the two Heroic players Jakob "jabbi" Nygaard and Martin "stavn" Lund in a highly publicized transfer deal. Both rank among the top 20 players in the world. Consequently, the first edition of Copenhagen Gaming Week's international Counter-Strike 2 tournament was won by the collective Astralis lineup, comprising:

• Benjamin 'blameF' Bremer
• Nicolai 'dev1ce' Reedtz
• Victor 'staehr' Staehr
• Jakob 'jabbi' Nygaard
• Martin 'stavn' Lund

About Copenhagen Gaming Week:

Copenhagen Gaming Week is Denmark's new epic festival for everything related to gaming and esports. With over 150 scheduled activities spread across four unique realms, the first edition of Copenhagen Gaming Week took place from January 12th to 14th, 2024, at Bella Center Copenhagen and Bella Arena. Created in partnership between Bellagroup, Wonderful Copenhagen, and Blackbox Media with support from the City of Copenhagen and the Capital Region, the goal is to establish an internationally recognized and recurring event that will grow over time.