by Astralis have confirmed the appointment of Peter “casle” Ardenskjold as the head coach of their Counter-Strike: Global Offensive roster ahead of the 2023 season.
The former professional CS:GO player, who had spent more than two months with Astralis as interim coach, was on Tuesday announced as the team’s full-time head tactician. The Danish organization made the announcement via an official press statement on their official website.
“In October, work began on a modernization of the setup in Astralis’ Counter-Strike organization, and in this connection, Astralis Talent Coach Peter “casle” Ardenskjold was appointed temporary Coach for the Main team, responsible for helping mapping out the needs on and around the team,” Astralis’ official statement read.
“This work continues, and an important piece is now in place, as Peter “casle” himself is appointed as the permanent Coach for the main team.”
On October 12, casle replaced Martin “trace” Heldt at the helm following Astralis’ disappointing performance at the European RMR A for the IEM Rio Major, where they placed 12th-14th to miss a CS:GO Major for the first time in their history. Since then, the team has been undergoing significant restructuring.
The Director of Sports at Astralis, Kasper Hvidt, described the promotion of casle to full-time head coach as a “natural” decision.
“When it was decided to invest further in the team and a significant upgrade of the Counter-Strike organization, it was natural to reach out to Peter, who, in addition to being an excellent coaching talent, is extremely strong in building the structure of a team,” Hvidt said.
“We knew that when we first brought him in as a very talented coach for Astralis Talent, and it has been confirmed by his work, where in a short time, he has significantly lifted the talents to a high level with several titles.
“He has provided significant input in shaping the new organization and has proven to be a very skilled coach who has earned the players’ complete trust.
“There were several profiles in play for the role, but it is impossible to neglect Peter’s qualities, so the choice was easy in the end. Peter has the values we always look for in Astralis, and we are delighted that he has accepted the challenge to be a vital part of what will be our new organization around the team.”
Casle also reacted to his promotion, highlighting his excitement to lead the roster in the upcoming 2023 season.
“Even when I started with the talents, I could see opportunities around the main team setup. So when I got the opportunity to take over temporarily and became part of creating a new, strong organization and a revitalized team, I, of course, agreed right away,” casle said.
“We have come a long way with the roles on the team, but we are by no means finished. Neither with roles nor with the organization, and I am glad that I can now continue with the work we have started.
“I will be a permanent part of that work, and I am very much looking forward to 2023, where we have one single goal: To prove that we belong at the very top of Counter-Strike. Everything we do is based on thorough preparatory work that will make the team stronger and enable the players to meet our high ambitions. I hope we can unveil more before the new year. I’m already looking forward to getting started with 2023.”
Astralis have also announced that Frederik “Lomme” Nielsen, who has been an analyst for the team since November 2021, will be leaving the organization. The team expressed gratitude for Nielsen’s professionalism and dedication.
