NiP Faces Elimination Threat as FORZE Secures Victory at BLAST Paris Major

FORZE has defeated Ninjas in Pyjamas (NiP) 16-12 on Inferno, leaving the latter on the verge of elimination from the BLAST Paris Major. Moving to the 2-1 bracket, FORZE gains some leeway, as they now have two opportunities to qualify.

Andrey “⁠Jerry⁠” Mekhryakov and his team could have secured an even larger victory, having held a 13-5 lead at the beginning of the game’s second half. NiP’s struggle stemmed from a weak start on the defensive half, where they lost seven of the first eight rounds, with Fredrik “⁠REZ⁠” Sterner and Ludvig “⁠Brollan⁠” Brolin managing to secure only a few rounds.

NiP’s passive approach on the CT side did not yield the desired results, while their performance on the T side showed some improvement, but it was too late. FORZE’s individual skills played a significant role in their win, as their proficiency in gunfights often rendered strategy unnecessary. The team will need to maintain this level of performance to secure a spot in the tournament.
NiP entered the event with a poor track record and had fallen outside the top 20 in world rankings. Despite a solid win over Eternal Fire and a close loss against Vitality, their latest defeat seems to indicate a return to form. To avoid elimination, the team will need to step up their game.

Meanwhile, FORZE bounced back from their initial 5-16 loss against Cloud9 at the RMR, securing a close victory over ENCE and putting themselves within reach of a BLAST Paris Major appearance with their win against NiP.