"I didn't have much time to get to know who I wanted to be as Nikolai. I was just living as dev1ce". Astralis star on his break, Falcons rumors and new CS talent
We've met with Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz at BetBoom Dacha. Current Astralis sniper and winner of four Majors discussed AWPing in Counter-Strike 2, new generation of Counter-Strike players, and, among other things, explained why he isn't the GOAT of CS:GO.
— Do you consider yourself a true CS star?
— It's not something I think too much about. I'm happy that my career has been as it has been. I've experienced a lot of nice things and won a lot of tournaments, but I don't see myself as a celebrity or anything like that. I am really enjoying my career so far and I also have a lot left to give.
— You're the most experienced player on this roster. Does this impose an additional responsibility?
— I'd say so, yes. Definitely more responsibility outside of the game. I think, inside the game, we have a very, very capable team. Ever since I came back to Astralis last year, I have had a bigger responsibility for a lot of the out-game stuff. I think it's good. I'm also older than other guys, so it comes with age.
— Can you tell more about this?
— It's more about leading by example and showing when to go to sleep and all that stuff, with how we should act as professional players. Trying to give some good talks before big games and trying to remind the guys to enjoy it as well, because there's a lot of pressure, but it should be fun as well.
— Is there a generational gap in the pro scene?
— It's hard to say. I think we definitely see a shift with more younger players coming to the scene. I think it's good. You see it with players like m0NESY and donk, and all of those guys. They just come up really quickly and are really good players, while very young. Yeah, I'd say there's maybe a little gap between my generation and theirs, but I don't think it matters too much in CS.
— What is the difference between generations? Do older players value what they have more than younger ones because of the early days of CS?
— I think the biggest difference in-game is the mechanical skill. Younger players are more skilled, while older players are better at decision making and have more experience with the stage. I don't think there's anything mindset-wise that is very different. Everyone deserves to be here. It's not something I think too much about, but for me the biggest difference is that these young guys are really, really skilled but they still need more experience and games.
— There was a photo of you from Stockholm Major with you walking past the Astralis guys after you won. For many, this was one of the best esports photos ever. How did you feel playing at the Major but without your guys, who were friends to you?
— It was about two years ago. I don't remember it really well. For me, it was a hard time at that point because we were and still are good friends in Astralis. Now, I'm also the only guy left in Astralis [from that lineup]. Yeah, it was a fun moment to play against these guys. And, yeah, I enjoyed it, of course we won, and it was a legendary picture but yeah, I don't have much to say about it.
— Now that you're alone from the “golden” roster, do you miss them?
— Yeah, of course. I have known gla1ve ever since I was 13 years old. We played CS: Source. We have played with Xyp9x and dupreeh together since 2013. It was a special team because we stayed together for so long, a lot of us, the core. Of course I miss them, maybe not as much as teammates but more as friends, outside of the server. But I'm also happy with the guys I have now.
— In the Astralis documentary, you said you took a break to understand who you are and what you need. What answers did you find during the break?
— I spend a lot of time away from home, traveling throughout my early twenties. I didn't have much time to get to know who I wanted to be as Nikolai. I was just living as dev1ce, and I had to find out who I was outside of the game as a person and what I wanted to do. And had to kind of choose CS, because previously, it just happened. I didn't choose it myself, it was something that was just always there. So, that was mostly what I was looking for.
— Did your family help you during that time, or you asked for a psychologist's help?
— Oh yeah, I went to a psychologist throughout the year. But just being with close friends, my family and girlfriend was something that helped me think about other stuff. Taking a complete break from competing and CS was also very helpful, because when you're actively playing, you either train for a tournament or participate in tournaments. So you're constantly doing something and you don't have time to work on yourself during that period.
— In CS:GO, snipers dominated the server, but now they seem to be less powerful. How does it change the game and your playstyle?
— [Chuckles] Definitely, the AWP is a little bit worse than it was in CS:GO. At the start of CS 2 I told myself, I want to be one of the guys who still plays a lot of AWP. I don't want to be one of those who changed to rifles just because it's easier right now. I think I figured out a good way to play it for myself. I don't necessarily see myself playing too much rifle or shotguns or whatever. For me, it's just about learning the new mechanics and trying to push the boundaries of what you can do with the AWP, but also to understand that it's not the same, and to not do the same things you did in CS:GO.
— Do you consider yourself the greatest player of all time in CS:GO?
— Nah…
— Why? You have won four Majors!
— For me, s1mple, Sasha is the best. I think he was the best for a long time. I know I won more than him. But it also means a lot to me to thrive in individual skill — I was never the best in a year. For me, it's natural to look at s1mple. And I also think ZywOo could be up there with s1mple, if he had more years. But I'm happy to be the guy who won the most and had a big part in that.
— You signed a new contract with Astralis until 2026. Isn't that a bit too long-term? How old would you be?
— Yeah, 30 or 31. I don't think age is a problem, to be honest. You see a lot of great players in other sports for a long time. I'm 28 now and I'm putting out better numbers than I had in my best years, so I don't really think too much about age. But yeah, I'm happy I got a contract until then, but you never know if you're part of the team until then, it's no guarantee.
— There were a lot of rumors about Falcons with zonic and Magisk trying to buy you out. Was there any truth to it?
— There's always some truth to rumors, but I'm happy I chose to stay. I'm just really happy and excited to play with the new guys. I think they're great players and we have the best Danish team here.
— What's happening right now in the Danish scene? For me, it seems like you have Astralis and half of Heroic, but there's no new blood?
— I think we have plenty of new players. Maybe not completely ready for tier-1 yet. We also have Preasy Esport who were pretty good — online at least, they haven't played any LANs yet. I think it's okay. We had a long period when we didn't get many talents, but now we have Staehr from Sprout, we have Buzz who will find a new team, we have some of the guys who play in Sprout now. I think in general we have a lot of players who will get better, it's just a matter of time.
— Are you ready to be an AWPer for the rest of your career or maybe you'll change your role in the future, like becoming an IGL sniper?
— I thought about sniping IGL. Naturally, when you are AWPing, you help a lot with the calling. With the team we have right now, almost everyone is helping blameF. I just want to be with this roster for a long time. Then there's no reason to change roles-wise.
— Throwback to your NiP time. Was it a mistake, or do you have no regrets?
— Nah, I don't have any regrets.
— What lesson did you learn throughout that part of your career?
— A lot of lessons. It's hard to mention everything specifically. I learned that a new challenge is always good for you, and you should try new stuff in your life, and not be just in your comfort zone. I think that's the most important thing.
