Over the course of the 9th elite Counter-Strike 2 event of the year — PGL Astana — many changes and storylines caught the attention of audiences worldwide. From Brazilian, Kazakhstani, and Latvian fans uniting over their love for the new-look YEKINDAR– and molodoy-powered FURIA, to NIP’s first steps toward resurrection, and even G2’s “Polish era” with hades, TaZ, and Snax playing on the same lineup.
However, one tale fascinated and captured everyone who had their eyes set on the $1,250,000 event: the story of a captain whose sole mission was rescuing a wrecked, sinking ship — even as his own career seemingly dashed toward the bottom of the sea. And, of course, he is Danish.
Throughout the history of the professional CS:GO/CS2 scene, we’ve seen multiple examples of captains rising from the dead and finding unexpected success in their late 20s or early 30s, regardless of being written off by many.
Ironically, Casper “cadiaN” Møller was 25 and had been playing professionally for over six years without reaching great heights when he joined Heroic and began forging his legacy in 2020. A similar moment can also be found in the career of one of the game’s greatest captains — Finn “karrigan” Andersen. At 28, the legendary IGL had failed to accomplish the main goal of the olofmeister, NiKo, rain & GuardiaN FaZe Clan lineup — to win a Major. That failure ended his stint with the team. After a strange, one-month tenure with Envy, karrigan returned to MOUZ, lifted four trophies, and earned his way back to FaZe — where he would finally win his first Major, as well as IEM Katowice, Cologne, and a Grand Slam.
Another — and perhaps the most accurate — comparison to “our protagonist’s story” is that of Marco “Snappi” Pfeiffer. An IGL who had been playing CS:GO since its inception, but wouldn’t start making waves until he turned 31 and joined ENCE — the team that turned Snappi into the respected and recognized leader he is today.
With that said, the man this article is about is one of the most controversial IGLs in modern-day Counter-Strike — but not because of his behavior, character, or anything else. Simply because it’s just as easy to like as it is to detest the fact he’s still around the Tier 1 scene — Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen.
The Start
HooXi’s early career was largely unremarkable. Starting professionally at age 20 on myXMG, he moved through many different squads over the next four years — playing with names like BERRY, raalz, Farlig, and roej. Ambush was the first established Danish banner he represented, but like many of his projects, it didn’t last long. Some might find it surprising, but even HooXi’s first stint with Copenhagen Flames didn’t work out. In fact, it took him three attempts.
HooXi first joined CPH Flames in 2018, alongside Basso, Farlig (future Astralis AWP), roej (who would remain with the Flames for years), and current MOUZ Head Coach sycrone. One year and some roster changes later, HooXi was benched. He spent three months with AGF before returning — now to a completely different lineup. This stint lasted just four months before he, along with refrezh, Queenix, and Nodios, left for x6tence.
Then came MAD Lions — HooXi’s first team that came close to making real waves. Alongside acoR, refrezh, roeJ, and sjuush, MAD Lions looked exciting. HooXi was still the “under 1.00 rating merchant,” but his willingness to sacrifice for the team was clear. After strong performances at Flashpoint Season 2 and wins over Dignitas (friberg & f0rest), fnatic (JW & KRIMZ), and Envy, MAD Lions appeared to be a fresh, competitive Danish team not built from ex-North, OpTiC, or Heroic rosters.
But again, it didn’t last. Just five months later, HooXi was benched again. Yet this time, a real breakthrough was coming.
Zyphon, nicoodoz, roeJ, jabbi, and HooXi — this was the lineup of his third tenure at Copenhagen Flames, and it proved the most successful. The Danish team became a force in online Counter-Strike and excelled in RMRs. Beginning with the IEM Fall (PGL Stockholm Major RMR) Open Qualifier, HooXi led them through to the Legends Stage of the 2021 Stockholm Major — all while posting a highest event rating of just 0.96.
The team had firepower, and HooXi had a knack for finding ways to help his teammates thrive. Despite his individual struggles, the team won when it mattered. At 26, the Dane made his first Major appearance; at 27, he reached his first playoffs at the PGL Antwerp Major 2022 — posting a 0.76 rating over 12 maps. But what mattered most was that he led a Danish underdog, who couldn’t even dominate Tier 2, to a Top 8 Major finish. And that counted for something.
Age of Samurai
G2 Esports was the pinnacle of HooXi’s career. From being the underdog in a Danish lineup with old friends and youngsters, HooXi suddenly became the IGL of a team with one of the greatest riflers of all time in NiKo, world-class players like jks and huNter-, and the prodigy from NAVI Junior — Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov. Expectations were higher, stakes larger, and all eyes were on the 27-year-old Dane making his Tier 1 debut. And he delivered.
Over two years with G2, HooXi played 29 events — 26 of them on LAN — and never reached a 1.00 rating at a single one. His stats made him look silly, unrefined, simply not good enough for Tier 1. But numbers often don’t tell the full story. Despite his personal struggles, HooXi proved himself a true captain — someone who’d throw himself into the fire, sacrifice, compromise, and work for one thing only: the team’s greater good. And in a way, it worked.
Two years. Three trophies. But they mattered. Starting with the BLAST World Finals in 2022, G2 would go on to win both IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne in 2023. For a few months, they dominated. These victories helped make up for missing the IEM Rio Major in 2022 and the disappointing losses at the BLAST Paris Major 2023 and the PGL Major Copenhagen in 2024.
But apparently, it wasn’t enough. Sure, HooXi led G2 to some of the most significant non-Major trophies, but with NiKo and m0NESY in the lineup, the sense of unfulfilled potential lingered. That’s likely why G2 removed HooXi in July 2024 and replaced him with Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski.
This article isn’t about whether G2 made the right decision. Was HooXi part of G2’s struggles? Maybe. But was he also someone who rarely got credit when the team won — even though he deserved it? Probably yes..
To the Stars?
June 13, 2023 — that was the last game HooXi played for G2 Esports. Eleven months outside competition. Some open qualifiers with countrymen birdfromsky and nicoodoz — but no clear sign of a team picking him up. Then an opportunity appeared. The question was whether it was a chance at redemption, or the final nail in the coffin of his career.
After missing its fifth consecutive CS Major, Astralis parted ways with in-game leader Casper “cadiaN” Møller — weeks before rumors of the organization’s financial crisis spread across the internet. Astralis’ situation was dire: poor management, bad financial decisions, transfer misfires, and a lack of results — all threatening to undo one of CS’s most expensive brands. Even Danish fans struggled to justify supporting the team anymore — and that says a lot. Yet they still had one more tournament before the season’s end: PGL Astana 2025.
This is where our protagonist returns. HooXi had long been linked with Astralis. With strong firepower already in place, finding a true leader had been the organization’s priority since gla1ve’s departure. cadiaN got the first shot — even if it meant dropping the AWP and playing against his natural style.
Now, it was finally HooXi’s time. The opportunity could’ve exposed him — proved he was out of touch and still individually poor — but it did quite the opposite.
Under HooXi, Astralis looked revitalized — and so did he. The team had a leader who created space for stavn, device, jabbi, and Staehr — without needing to center calls around himself. Making your own moves on T-side helps understand the flow of a round and gives others their fair shot to shine.
For example, HooXi’s initiative allowed Staehr to avoid constant self-sacrifice and have greater mid-round impact. That’s just one reason why players around him were smiling — finally having fun, competing, and looking damn good on the server.
Astralis didn’t win the event, though they took a map off Spirit in the Bo5 Grand Final. But they made a statement. Wins over Aurora, Natus Vincere, Virtus.pro, MIBR, and ODDIK marked their first time looking like real contenders in 2025 — and HooXi was the reason.
What’s next for Astralis, the players, or HooXi? No one knows. But one thing is certain:
Never write off a Danish IGL in his late 20s, especially when he’s chasing his second career youth.
