Astralis Signs NEO as Head Coach, Xirreth as Performance Coach

Ex-player and coach NEO will lead the Astralis Counter-Strike roster alongside NaVi performance coach Xirreth. Here’s everything to know about the move.

Astralis Has Signed NEO as Head Coach; Xirreth as Performance Coach

On July 16, 2026, European Counter-Strike organization Astralis announced it had hired Filip “NEO” Kubski as its Head Coach. The team wrote in an accompanying X.com post,

“[We are] building the next chapter of Astralis. Together with [NEO]. 2014 Major champion. Proven head coach with 3 Major finals under his belt. We couldn’t be more excited to see what comes next.”

NEO arrives to Astralis alongside Urszula “Xirreth” Klimczak, who will become the organization’s Performance Coach. He made a statement regarding the move on the team’s website:

“Astralis has been on top of the Counter-Strike game for a long time, and the brand is still legendary. Going international hasn’t made the task in front of this group easy, and that’s exactly what makes it interesting, especially after the promising results they’ve already shown. Having an experienced performance coach alongside me was part of it too, someone to help me grow not just as a team, but as a coach myself.”

Xirreth is known for her time with NaVi. She has experience as a performance coach for Counter-Strike and VALORANT rosters, and notably helped coach the team to its 2024 Copenhagen Major win. Previously, Xirreth also represented ENCE, working as Head of Player Development and contributing to the org’s IEM Dallas win.

CEO Jonas Gundersen wrote regarding Xirreth’s role: “Adding Urszula is something that only makes the duo even stronger. She’s one of the most renowned and respected performance coaches in esports altogether and knows what it takes to win in the modern era. I fully believe that these two together are going to form an incredibly strong partnership towards building the winning culture that we want.”

NEO’s Time on FaZe Clan

NEO’s Counter-Strike career has spanned over two decades. From 2000 to 2017, he actively competed in tournaments. He is especially well-known for his time on the Golden Five lineup, which swept through CS’ top competitions in the 2000s. After moving to Russian team Virtus.pro, he won the 2014 ESL Katowice Major.

NEO was a key figure in the early days of esports, shaping how the scene progressed. He has stayed with the Counter-Strike franchise through its transitions to CS: GO and Counter-Strike 2, watching the industry develop. Notably, HLTV users voted him the game’s Player of the Decade in 2010. He also has the rare experience of successfully transitioning to a coach role after playing professionally.

As a coach, NEO previously represented FaZe Clan. He stayed with the organization for over three years, coaching them to win two IEMs and qualify for four Majors.

However, from 2025 to 2026, FaZe Clan experienced a sharp performance dip. The team began struggling at key international events, and NEO departed in March 2026. He explained his reasoning in an X.com post on his personal account, writing that FaZe Clan “will remain one of the most beautiful memories I’ve had in esports,” but his time there was “long enough to start thinking about the next step.”

NEO clarified: “We had long conversations with the management about the challenges we face today, and the decision was mutual – and above all, very mature and professional. It’s time to pass the helm so that perhaps a new maneuver can lift FaZe Clan back to the level where we stood not so long ago.”

What Does This Mean for Astralis?

The Astralis move will place NEO back on the battlefield after a three-month break. As an organization, the team is aiming to return to its former glory. From 2017 to 2019, prime Astralis dominated Counter-Strike competition, influencing the game’s meta and emphasizing discipline. It won four Majors (ELEAGUE Atlanta 2017, FACEIT London 2018, IEM XIII Katowice 2019, and StarLadder Berlin 2019), and swept the S-tier stage.

Something changed since 2020, and Astralis has fallen out of analyst favor. Its 2026 Season especially has been subpar, with the org leaving IEM Cologne 2026 near the bottom of the leaderboard. The team quickly started shifting things around, sending former coach Casper “ruggah” Due off and announcing intent to make some organizational changes.

Astralis is likely hoping NEO can bring a fresh perspective to its roster. His time at FaZe and Xirrath’s experience at NaVi will allow them to remain competitive with rival Tier 1 orgs. In addition, the team is aiming for consistency, so a proven track record helps support that goal. The move seems to be an investment in long-term performance, rebuilding Astralis’ foundation that held up its reputation in the first place.

In an article release about the signing, Astralis called it a “strategic decision.” CEO Jonas Gunderson called NEO “one of the most legendary and iconic players of all time,” saying, “He’s shown time and time again that he knows what it takes to build winning teams and knows exactly what kind of culture is needed to win […] To me, this is an investment in the future. It comes down to a core philosophy: winning in the long run requires a deeply rooted culture that runs through the entire organization.”

NEO also commented: “It’s not going to be easy to bring Astralis back to its glory days, but getting to a place where every opponent has to respect our name will be a good start.”

Stay tuned for more Counter-Strike esports and in-game news.