Astralis admits delayed payments to players and staff

A legendary name in Counter-Strike, known for its historic dominance between 2018 and 2019, Astralis now appears to be in serious turmoil, reportedly unable to pay the most recent salaries of its players and staff. According to Danish outlet Ekstra Bladet, the organization is facing significant financial difficulties—a report later confirmed when Astralis CEO Jonas Gundersen acknowledged delays in salary payments.

In his response, Gundersen admitted that the organization had failed to pay its December 1 salaries, calling the situation “very unfortunate timing” for employees with the holiday season approaching. The non-payment reportedly affects both administrative staff and the players currently competing at the Budapest Major, one of the two most important events of the Counter-Strike 2 competitive season. Beyond the prestige of the competition, the Major is a financial milestone for both players and the organization, bringing in substantial additional income through sticker sales and prize money—often worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Ekstra Bladet also reported that employees only learned on payday that their wages would be delayed by about two weeks. Gundersen added that Astralis plans to pay an additional 10% compensation once the overdue salaries are issued. This crisis follows less than two months after Astralis was fully acquired by Fusion Esports Group, a company controlled by JK Holding, which reported equity of 8.4 million Danish kroner (USD 1,3M) in its latest financial statements. Gundersen stated that “we took over a company facing certain challenges we were fully aware of from the beginning,” suggesting that the situation should stabilize in the near future.

The controversy comes amid broader criticism of Astralis’ management. Earlier this year, Ekstra Bladet also revealed questionable commercial decisions—most notably, the long-term presence of controversial casino influencers at Astralis Nexus, the organization’s gaming hub in Copenhagen. According to a report published last October, these streamers had been reported to Denmark’s consumer ombudsman for covert advertising, accused of “abusing consumer trust by promoting gambling content disguised as entertainment.”