phzy on HOTU: “They have a lot of unconventional setups, and at times they play quite atypically.”
Astralis sniper Lav “phzy” In an interview at BLAST Bounty Summer 2026, Smidebrandt explained why the team has yet to achieve consistent results, discussed working with Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen, and shared his expectations for the match against HOTU.
On Astralis’s inconsistent results
To be honest, I don’t know why this is happening. If I or any of the other guys knew the answer, I don’t think we’d be in this situation right now. So yeah, we’re still trying to figure it out.
On working with HooXi
Obviously, we have to follow what the captain says. But we can always suggest ideas or options. Although, of course, he always has the final say.
On the match against HOTU
I think they’re a strong team. Their playstyle is a bit different. They have a lot of unconventional setups, and at times they play quite atypically. Especially when we played them last time on Cache. They had a lot of tricks up their sleeve that we didn’t even know existed. So I hope HOTU hasn’t come up with even more of those. Because now, at least, we know the ones they used against us last time.
On Astralis’s progress on Cache
We’re playing pretty well on it. With every match, of course, we’re getting better and better. There’s still a lot to learn on this map. But I think we’re feeling more and more comfortable on it.
Right now, Lava’s “phzy” Smidebrandt and his team are facing off against HOTU in the online stage of BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 2. The winning team will secure a spot in the tournament’s LAN stage, while the losing team will be eliminated from the championship.
Photo by Sebastian Pandelache, PGL.
