Esports Powerhouse Astralis Gears Up for a Coaching Revolution: Casper 'ruggah' Due to Lead Charge in 2024!

The 35-year-old coach, Casper "ruggah" Due, is set to assume leadership of the Danish esports team Astralis once his contract with OG expires. This announcement follows an agreement reached between Astralis and ruggah, as reported by HLTV. Ruggah will be taking over the coaching responsibilities from Peter "casle" Ardenskjold, who was relieved of his duties at the conclusion of the previous season.

Ruggah's tenure with OG, which began in January 2020, shortly after the organization entered the CS:GO scene, will come to an end. Despite overseeing multiple team iterations, the squad remains without any LAN trophies.

The transition to Astralis is scheduled to occur "no later than April 1," coinciding with the expiration of ruggah's current OG contract. His debut with Astralis is anticipated at IEM Chengdu, with assistant coach Mathias "R0nic" Pinholt temporarily guiding the team at tournaments until then.

Astralis' sports director, Kasper Straube, expressed satisfaction with the acquisition, highlighting ruggah's coaching skills and experience at the highest level. Straube emphasized the importance of thorough analysis in selecting a coach compatible with Astralis' culture and expectations.

Ruggah wasn't the only candidate considered by Astralis to replace casle. Former Heroic coach Richard "Xizt" Landström was initially poised to join, but negotiations fell through. Xizt, in a statement on January 7, expressed openness to offers for the 2024 season.

Astralis is embarking on a busy season, having navigated through closed qualifiers to secure a spot in the European RMRs. The Danish team is currently participating in the BLAST Premier Spring Groups and is set to travel to Poland for IEM Katowice.