Former Astralis and ENCE in-game leader Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander has announced his retirement from playing in Counter-Strike 2, and will now look to transition to coaching within the game.

The four-time Major winner is one of the greatest IGLs in the history of Counter-Strike, but has struggled to find success since the transition to CS2.

gla1ve Calls it a Day

In his announcement post on Twitter, gla1ve said he would like to head straight into the head coach role, skipping the assistant coach tier, unlike his former Astralis teammate, Andreas “Xyp9x” Hojsleth. 

“After some time away from the server and a chance to reflect on my future, nothing feels more right than to start the next chapter: becoming a head coach,” he said. “My deep understanding of the game, recent experience as an IGL in CS2, and a deep and up-to-date understanding of the meta give me a unique edge.”

A new adventure begins!

After some time away from the server and a chance to reflect on my future, nothing feels more right than to start the next chapter: becoming a head coach.

I truly believe I have something extraordinary to offer in this role.
My deep understanding of the… pic.twitter.com/p2U5w3IK8A

— Lukas Rossander (@gla1ve_cs) November 24, 2025

The Dane had originally intended to keep playing in CS he posted back in July about his free agency that would begin next year, following his benching by ENCE, but appears to have decided on a switch to coaching.

Moving into coaching is something we’ve seen a lot of the IGLs gla1ve battled against during his prime do in recent years. The likes of Filip “NEO” Kubski and Wiktor “TaZ” Wojtas have both had time at the top with FaZe and G2, whilst NIP, who are having somewhat of a resurgence, are now coached by Richard “Xizt” Landstrom. 

One of the greatest to ever do it

After making a name for himself on HEROIC, the signing of gla1ve was what truly allowed Astralis to become the dominant force they threatened to be in the early years of CS:GO.

Dubbed as “perennial semi-finalists,” the Astralis core could never convert strong tournament placings into trophy lifts before gla1ve. However, they lifted their first Major trophy at ELEAGUE Atlanta 2017 just months after he joined.

A year later, the signing of Emil “Magisk” Reif would help take Astralis to a new level entirely. gla1ve and Danny “zonic” Sorensen revolutionised the way Counter-Strike was played, strangling their opponents with oppressive utility usage and an incredibly structured tactical system.

The team they built would go on to be known as the best of all time, winning three Majors back-to-back and also the inaugural season of the Intel Grand Slam.