After losing to OpTic Gaming yesterday in the semifinals of the Europe Minor, some fans thought Ninja in Pyjamas would fall short once again in their quest to qualify for a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major. This time, however, the Swedish team persevered and clinched their first Major spot in two years.
Missing out on the PGL Krakow Major, ELEAGUE Atlanta Major, and ELEAGUE Boston Major this past January, it’s been more than two years since NiP last competed at a Valve Major. The last event, ESL One Cologne in 2016, didn’t go well for them and they’ve had roster issues since.
The historic team’s fight for a spot on the world’s biggest stage never stopped, though. Despite roster changes and position swaps, NiP did just enough to overcome their Europe Minor opponents and once again secure a Major berth.
NiP finished second with a 2-1 record in Group B, where they played Sprout, Team Kinguin, and Red Reserve. With their placing, they moved on to bracket play to face off against the Danish team, OpTic Gaming.
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While NiP took a 34-round game to force a series-deciding third map, OpTic shut down the Swedes on Inferno. The loss bumped NiP down into the losers bracket, where it’d only take one more defeat for them to be sent home without a Major berth.
Sprout stood in their way in the opening losers bracket match—and unlike their previous meeting where Sprout won, NiP claimed victory this time and moved on in the tournament.
The final step in qualifying for the Major came in a match against ENCE Esports. This talented Finnish team with a lot of potential posed a large threat for the Swedes, but NiP, possibly with the confidence of a win over Sprout, pushed through a tough 28-round Overpass map. The second game, Inferno, wasn’t close at all—and with the 16-2 victory, NiP were Major-bound for the first time in years.
NiP join OpTic Gaming as the Europe Minor representatives, and they’ll face the likes of Astralis, Team Liquid, and Virtus Pro in the New Challengers Stage of the FACEIT London Major, which begins on Sept. 5.
