In a shocking move, Ronin have dropped seasoned pro player and popular streamer Casper “Gnaske” Præstensgaard from their Apex Legends team.
The mid-season decision was made by his British teammates Lewis “Hoody” O’Rourke and “MgClutch.” As a result, Gnaske has been left without a team for this Apex Legends Global Series split.
Team Ronin and Gnaske publicise their messy divorce
Gnaske was the first to announce his departure from the team publicly. Hoody provided a statement 30 minutes later, which was published at 1:00 a.m. BST.
An active player since 2019 with over $150,000 USD (~£111,100 GBP) in earnings, Gnaske has a respected status in Apex Legends esports. Known for his emotional intensity and dedication to the game, he holds the admiration of many fellow professionals and fans.
Immediately, Gnaske established that the decision was not his own.
He referenced his teammates’ reasoning as being, “I think we’ll do better with X person,” seemingly criticising the statement on the basis that the team’s performance has been productive this season thus far.
In his post on X (formerly Twitter), he did not hold back his personal opinion on the incident. The post concluded with him calling his ex-teammates’ actions “impulsive” and “immature.”
Given that Gnaske established the public narrative in discussing the decision first, Hoody’s response was more restrained.
No other European ALGS teams are currently able to change their roster. As a result, Gnaske will likely be unable to compete for the rest of this split.
The decision could also impact his ability to attend the ALGS Midseason Playoffs, which are to be held at the Esports World Cup this summer.
Weighing the court of public opinion
Pro players across all ALGS regions have displayed disapproval of the decision to drop Gnaske, offering their support.
Jack “NiceWigg” Martin, B-Stream co-host, former pro player, and Legend in the ALGS scene, was quick to provide support.
“Always right ways to go about business and this isn’t it. I’m so sorry man, truly not fair in any way. Honestly cant even believe what I’m reading with how much potential yall had as a team.”
Jack “NiceWigg” Martin
NiceWigg’s disbelief has been mirrored by broadcast talent and players alike, including caster Dan “Gaskin” Gaskin and Gnaske’s former GMT teammate, Beau “RamBeau” Sheidy.
In contrast, comments under Hoody’s post criticise the UK player for comments fans perceive as hypocritical.
His statement that the departure is “all love and nothing personal” has been called a direct contrast to the result of his actions, which removed the chances for another player to compete.
Roster-lock rules in the ALGS circuit are regularly criticised. Teams are known to frequently change their rosters, which increases instability in the competitive circuit. The phenomenon is often referred to as “Rostermania” during the off-season and can be challenging to track.
Gnaske’s unwilling mid-season roster divorce has once again drawn this negative attention to the ALGS. To date, no changes have been made to prevent the same circumstances from happening in the future.
Hannah is a writer specialising in the esports, gaming, and technology sectors. Working for outlets such as Dot Esports, Esports Insider, and of course ENUK, she has developed a love for wider esports and Apex Legends, although it may never surpass her drive to passionately beat her friends in every game of Mariokart. You may have seen her at various esports and gaming events, including ESI London, EGX, Discover: Esports and many League of Legends watch parties.
