Exploring JUGi’s next steps; where could the Danish star head next?

JUGi’s rise in the Danish Counter-Strike scene between 2015 and 2017 was impressive. He gained a reputation as one of the best up-and-coming AWPers in the country, which earned him a spot in the Heroic and OpTic rosters.

Pictured: JUGi (Credit: ESL)

However, that reputation quickly fell apart during his stint with North. JUGi posted the worst stats of his career with his new team, struggling to perform consistently with the AWP. He regularly missed easy shots and rarely made an impactful play - the sort that characterizes the best AWPers in the game.

However, it would be unfair to put all the blame on him alone. North’s leadership was confused as they tried to make an in-game leader out of Valdemar “valde” Bjørn. The structure of the team never felt right, and this was reflected in the results. It is also telling that while removing JUGi, North added a proper in-game leader to its roster, Mathias “MSL” Lauridsen.

But all of that is behind JUGi now and he has a chance to rebuild his reputation. He could join another Danish team or sign with a European mix squad. North America would have been a viable option in the past but the current global outbreak makes such a move pretty unlikely.

Staying in Denmark

Pictured: Acor (Credit: Dreamhack)

With Astralis unquestionably out of the picture, JUGi’s best option in Denmark would have been MAD Lions. But they have no reason to change their roster as they’ve recently won Flashpoint Season 1.

• Read more: Astralis confirms es3tag signing for permanent six-man roster

Their AWPer, Frederik “acoR” Gyldstrand, isn’t setting the world on fire but his consistency makes him an integral part of the squad.

Casper “cadiaN” Møller takes up the AWPing responsibility for Heroic, so they are not an option. Copenhagen Flames have a promising sniper in Asger “Farlig” Jensen and while they could still sign JUGi, it is not likely. Singularity has an opening in their roster but the sharpshooter role is already filled by Daniel “mertz” Mertz.

If a Danish team takes a punt at JUGi, it will be one of the lesser-known sides like Lyngby Vikings, Tricked, AGF or Ambush.

Joining a European mix

Pictured: Maikelele (Credit: Dreamhack)

There are a few possibilities here. GODSENT could pick up JUGi to replace Mikail “Maikelele” Bill who has been underwhelming. The team’s progress in the rankings have slowed down since November and a change could be useful.

SMASH is another option. Kristjan “fejtZ” Allsaar has been the team’s main AWPer for a while but it’s hard to say things have been working out. JUGi wouldn’t necessarily have to replace fejtZ since he can go back to rifling. There are other players on the roster that are massively underperforming and they could be on the hook to make space for JUGi.

Joining c0ntact is an impossibility since the team’s sniper, Otto “ottoNd” Sihvo, is a key member of the squad. Endpoint could look to add JUGi to replace Joey “CRUC1AL” Steusel, but it is improbable.

Waiting Out the Pandemic and Going to North America

Pictured: Nifty (Credit: ESL)

A move to North America is far-fetched but if things don’t work out for a few teams, JUGi could test his kills with an org across the pond. Cloud9 tried to sign him once before and could try again if the results don’t get better. Their current AWPer, Josh “oSee” Ohm, is doing a respectable job but sometimes struggles on LAN. 

Chaos could be a more realistic option as there is currently an open spot on their roster. That spot is likely to be filled by a player from North America due to the pandemic, but after things blow over, JUGi can be a good pickup for them. 

Last but not least, Envy... They seem to believe in the team’s AWPer and in-game leader Noah "Nifty" Francis but if they keep underperforming, JUGi would be a suitable option to change things up.