No one can argue against the fact that Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz's debut as an IGL has been quite impressive. Skeptics believed combining the role of a superstar AWP'er with the duties of team captain would be challenging. However, this role seems perfect for the 28-year-old legend, who has already, in some ways, silenced his critics.
Going undefeated through the group stage and securing a spot in the semi-finals at his first big LAN event as an IGL—our first big event playoff since IEM Cologne 2023—speaks for itself.
With a 1.45 rating, 80.2% KAST, and 88.8 ADR, dev1ce is among the top-performing players at IEM Chengdu 2024.
His impressive rating has earned him 2nd place on the group stage leaderboard—only surpassed by his teammate stavn.
Head Coach Casper 'ruggah' Due expresses pride in his team's new In-Game Leader:
"He is highly professional and extremely dedicated to Astralis and the task. He immediately assumed leadership in his uniquely calm manner, positively influencing his teammates. I have really pushed him with some tough and provocative questions regarding his role and how he wants to lead, and it is clear that he is aware of what he wants and how he wants to be both in games and as a natural leader in daily life," says ruggah.
"No matter what we have faced outside, he just takes over and says, 'Guys, we will handle this,' it gives an incredible sense of calm and belief in the team. He has only been IGL for a month and has already made a huge impact. I am incredibly proud of this and look forward to how we, he, I, the team, and the organization around us, can develop in the coming months and years. I am convinced it will be really good," the head coach states.
What do you think about your IGL debut and the team's performance in Chengdu?
"It has been an excellent debut. None of us could have hoped for more. I am extremely proud of the team's performances and all the hard work we have put in to get here. But we're not done with this tournament yet—we still have goals we want to achieve! Still, we've had a fantastic start, and I'm proud that we made it to the semi-finals in our first LAN tournament together."
How has it been playing as an IGL for the first time?
"It has been fun and challenging. The strategies we've trained over the last month have worked extremely well. We've also had a lot of momentum—and of course, it's a bit easier to contribute with the right calls and plays."
"As an IGL, you are responsible for the overall game plan and preparation. You need to be good at setting people up for the big matches with the right mindset to keep the positive energy flowing. As an AWP, you're more focused on your specific role. Therefore, the biggest difference is that you need to be much more aware of your teammates and, ideally, develop the right tactics every round."
"It has been great to see how Alexander "br0" Bro has stepped up in his first major tournament. It takes a lot to live up to high pressure. Of course, Martin "stavn" Lund has just been the tournament's undisputed best player. And yes, everyone has performed incredibly well."
You guys won nine out of ten pistol rounds; what are you doing right?
"It's mostly because we have individually been in good form, shown good energy on the server, and were ready from the start. Yes, those are the pistol rounds we've been training for. However, the overall factor has primarily been the positive energy and excellent individual performance. In practice, the success rate might be more 50-50 compared to our success at Chengdu."
What do you think of your team's performance so far?
"Well, the results speak for themselves. We haven't been close to losing a single map yet. Yes, the performance has also been excellent. All the guys have done great and risen to the challenge. From one opponent to the next. It's different facing FaZe and Virtus.pro. Two different styles of play. But we've been able to show that we can take it day by day and play against different teams."
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