In Conversation with Gla1ve: Astralis’ In-Game Leader
Gla1ve, the in-game leader of Astralis, recently gave an interview discussing his experiences with different teams and his leadership style. Here are some key takeaways from the interview:
Comparison to Past Teams
Gla1ve believes that Astralis is a superior team compared to his previous team, Western Wolves, as more players on Astralis have the ability to turn rounds around on their own. The downfall of Western Wolves was due to the young players being less committed to the game, as they were more interested in other activities and had low salaries.
Leadership Style
Gla1ve and MSL, captain of North, have similar understandings of the game and often helped each other out when they played together. Gla1ve considers himself better at mid-round calls, while MSL excels at making the team feel comfortable in their play. Both leaders learned a lot from each other and from HUNDEN.
Playing with Pronax
Gla1ve played with pronax in n!faculty and admired pronax’s skills as an individual player. Pronax later became the in-game leader for Fnatic and won a major. Gla1ve was happy that pronax learned from him and respected his in-game knowledge.
Struggles in Building Steady Teams
Gla1ve had difficulty building a consistent team due to his lack of focus on CS:GO. He realized that if he wanted to achieve success, he needed to prioritize CS:GO and become a more professional player. The absence of contracts in CS made it challenging to maintain a stable team.
Overcoming Career Doubts
Gla1ve faced doubts about his career, but after taking a break from CS and reflecting on his passion, he decided to give it his all. His contract with Copenhagen Wolves allowed him to fully focus on CS, and HUNDEN played a significant role in his journey.
Playing Style and Tactical Approach
Gla1ve prefers a structured playing style where everyone knows their role and executes strategies effectively. He also believes in adapting tactics from other teams and making them fit his team. He learns from streams and demos to improve his own tactics.
Role of Zonic
Zonic, a former player, brings a lot of experience to the team. He focuses on preparation and demo watching, which allows Gla1ve to focus on his individual game. Together, they have a good understanding of how to anti-strat opponents.
Rival In-Game Leaders and Toughest Teams
Gla1ve finds Virtus.pro difficult to play against when they are in top form due to their ability to pressure the CTs as a team. He also views OpTic as a challenging team with a unique playstyle.
Coaching Rule and Timeouts
Gla1ve doesn’t have a strong opinion on the coaching rule but believes that the current system works well for him. He appreciates the four timeouts per game rule as it keeps the viewers entertained and doesn’t disrupt the momentum as much as a longer timeout.
Current Astralis Lineup
Gla1ve feels comfortable in his role as the in-game leader for Astralis and believes that he doesn’t need to perform exceptionally well individually for the team to succeed. He appreciates the support and confidence from his teammates and the fans.