Emil "Magisk" Reif became the 14th MVP of the Major

Many fans believe that our hero was lucky enough to become the main transfer in the CS:GO history. Emil "Magisk" Reif was exactly what monstrous Team Astralis needed to create the dominant era on the pro scene. How did he become a part of the team? Why was Emil and not some of his teammates called the MVP of the Katowice Major in 2019? Read the answers in our new material.

Emil Reif was born on March 5, 1998, in Denmark. He has been keen on video games since childhood. All his relatives and peers spent their time like this. The young Dane first encountered Counter-Strike at the age of 8 when he took up CS 1.6. Emil's parents and sister always supported his passion, and when he got an opportunity to become a professional esports player, his family was happy. 17-year-old Emil's steps on the professional arena were in SK Gaming in 2015. Yes, at that time, the team didn't have a Brazilian roster. The Dane had a nickname Magiskb0Y and spent 9 months on the team until he was replaced with Gabriel "FalleN" Toledo and co. Then he moved to Dignitas, where he won his first trophy in Moscow. Later, he played for OpTic, where he was the main star. Most of the matches were in the tier-2 arena, so there weren't any offers from the top teams. Everything changed when Markus "Kjaerbye" Kjærbye scandalously transferred from Astralis to North (the athletes played together for Dignitas). The former needed a suitable replacement, but Reif didn't look like the first contender. His former teammate k0nfig was considered a favorite for the position but did not fit the roster due to some game moments. Danny "zonic" Sørensen wasn't sure about Emil's hyper-emotive character, but the coach gave the Dane a chance, and it paid off.

By that time, Emil had won the London Major, and his partners had been two-time winners of the title. Astralis arrived in Poland as an indisputable favorite. Natus Vincere, their former opponent at the FACEIT Major 2018 finals, threatened to put their hegemony to an end. There was no fighting at the tournament at all. The Danes lost a map only once during the whole tournament (to Renegades in the group stage). Complexity, Cloud9 (16-0), and the above-mentioned Australians were beaten, as the tournament went on. Our hero was especially furious in the match where Astralis lost no round (21-5 stats). Ninjas in Pyjamas were the first opponent in the playoff. 41-22 from Emil, and the Danes moved further. In the semi-finals, the legendary Brazilians under the tag MiBR didn't manage to impose a fight and lost. Magisk became the best player in the match again. The fans expected a repeat of the London finals against NaVi, but the latter were outdone in a dramatic bout against ENCE. The Finnish organization surpassed itself. Bookmakers' odds on Astralis in the finals did not exceed 1.4, the whole world was confident in the Danes' triumph. 16-11, 16-4, 2-0, and the Danish team became the Major winner for the third time. The organizers called Emil Reif the most valuable player for his bright performance in the playoff, though Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz and Andreas "Xyp9x" Højsleth outscored Magisk 2-0 (1.28). His teammates were happy for him. 

We have told you what was next in our material about dev1ce. Astralis kept being dominant without any problems, winning the next Major in Berlin. Then the pandemic and the transition to online competition came, where the Danes ended their victorious era. Nicolai Reedtz's leave in 2021 influenced the team's state, the situation with contracts prompted mass media to spread rumors about the players' dismissal. Magisk constantly popped up as a player who could leave the Danish organization. After the PGL Major Stockholm 2021, where Astralis didn't qualify for the playoff, it was posted online that Emil Reif, Peter "dupreeh" Rasmussen, and Danny "zonic" Sørensen would transfer to Team Vitality. The Danish organization made the trio inactive till the end of 2021. What is curious is that Magisk was replaced by his old friend k0nfig. Once the trio's contracts expired, a signing was announced.

In his new team, Emil plays with the most talented player of his generation, two-time top-20 HLTV ranking triumphant Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut. The results, so far, are making fans nervous, but the adaptation period is not over. We will look at what the project will lead to after the PGL Major Antwerp 2022. The Danish-French roster has a chance of reaching the main stage of the tournament, but we will not see their tag among the favorites.

During his not-so-long career, Emil has earned 19 trophies (3 majors), been called MVP 2 times, and gotten to HLTV top 20 4 times (14th place in 2016, 7th in 2018, 5th in 2019, 11th in 2020). Reif is also the 6th in the list of the richest CS:GO professional players in terms of prize money, surpassed only by s1mple and his former teammates from Astralis. He still has a long way to go, but he is already considered one of the most titled cyber athletes in history.