Origen has announced its plan to join the Astralis banner for the upcoming 2021 League of Legends European Championship (LEC) Season. The Danish esports organization used to be owned by RFRSH Entertainment, but separated from the company in 2019 to form the Astralis Group.
Origen undergoes rebranding
Kasper Hvidt, Director of Sports at Astralis, commented:
First of all, we need to thank Martin and Enrique for their massive efforts in Origen. They have been vital for our venture into League of Legends, and we part with them as active members of the organization with very mixed emotions. We needed to establish a new direction with a clearer Astralis footprint, and it was obvious to all, this would require real change.
The Astralis League of Legends team will wear new jerseys going into the 2021 season. In addition, there will also be several changes made to the organization itself. The Danish esports organization will see Baltat “AoD” Alin-Ciprian step into the Head Coach position, Bjørn-Vegar “iHansen” Hansen as Assistant Coach, and Lars Robl as Performance Manager. Previous members like André “Guilhoto” Guilhoto, Martin “Deficio” Lynge, and Enrique “xPeke” Cedeño will transition to new roles.
Replicating Astralis’ success in LEC
Jakob Lund Kristensen, Co-founder and CCO of Astralis, added:
Origen will always be a part of who we are in League of Legends, but at the end of the day, the relationship with the fans is what matters. If we can’t contribute with excitement, passion, or a reason for the fans to spend their time on what we offer, we have not created anything of any importance. We firmly believe that this change will allow us to bring much more value to fans of League of Legends, LEC, and our team.
The complete Origen rebrand of all teams under the Astralis Group umbrella will mean greater integration between them. The organization’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team has seen great success, which is something Astralis hopes to replicate. However, first place at Worlds in 2021 isn’t the primary goal, with the group looking for a gradual increase in results throughout the next few years instead.
