Astralis’ Ryu credits bootcamp for fine-tuning ahead of Cologne

Gytis “ryu” Glušauskas, a recent addition to Astralis, said a weeklong bootcamp held before the Cologne Major focused on improving round execution, clutch situations and team synergy.

Astralis opened 2026 with strong finishes, placing third at EPL Season 23 and runner-up at PGL Bucharest. Results at BLAST Rivals and IEM Atlanta were weaker, and Glušauskas pointed to reduced team cohesion and missed chances in high-pressure rounds as key issues.

He described the bootcamp as practical work on the elements the team identified as weaknesses. “We put in all the focus on these kinds of small things, and on stuff like on executing the rounds, clutches,” he said, adding that practice has gone well but the team will measure progress in live matches.

Playing his first Major in Cologne, Glušauskas called the experience “very cool” and said the event’s prestige brings added expectations for players and teams.

Teammates have praised his in-game communication. He noted that clearer talk allows others to take initiative: “It’s easier to play with someone who talks more and gives initiative.”

On map strategy, Astralis has used Overpass frequently. Glušauskas rejected the idea of dependence on a single map, saying the team has been broadening its map pool and does not need to rely on Overpass. He also said they had been losing more often than winning on that map recently.

Looking ahead, Astralis enters Stage 2 as one of the favourites to advance. Glušauskas set a short-term target of reaching Stage 3 and said the playoffs and local crowd would make the Major experience notable.

Astralis plans to use the Cologne Major to test the changes made during bootcamp, with a focus on converting practice gains into better LAN results and tightening communication and clutch execution in key rounds.