NiP extend Major run; Vega Squadron eliminated

Ninjas in Pyjamas saw Vega Squadron out of the IEM Katowice Major following a 2-1 victory in round 4 of the New Challengers stage.

Ninjas in Pyjamas kicked off the series with a strong start, securing the first pistol of Overpass on their T side. The Ninjas assumed the driver's seat until a Deagle 4k from Igor "⁠crush⁠" Shevchenko on A yielded his team their first round on the defence. Off the back of this momentum, the CIS sharks were able to equalise, proceeding to go blow-for-blow with their opponents. Round 10 proved pivotal for the defence, as the T economy was finally dismantled, allowing for five consecutive rounds victories, concluding the initial half 10-5 in favour of Vega Squadron.

The sharks transferred momentum into the second pistol round, dismantling the CTs one by one. This created space for the CIS representatives to extend their lead to a comfortable 13-5 scoreline. Ninjas in Pyjamas clawed a few rounds back on the defence following a losing streak, but an unfortunate happening in round 22 gave Vega Squadron a sufficient opening to secure map point. In what proved to be a spectacular display of mental resilience, Ninjas in Pyjamas methodically dispatched the Ts over the course of eight consecutive rounds, pushing Overpass into overtime.

Contrary to their spectacular CT performance in regulation, the Ninjas struggled to reproduce their form, going 1-2 on the defence. The same could not be said for the sharks, who secured double map point over their opponents. Ninjas in Pyjamas closed the gap to just a single round disparity, but a Tunnel hold in round 25 by crush sealed the Ninjas' fate, concluding Overpass 19-17 in Vega Squadron's favour.

Train had a hectic start as a successful B hit from Vega Squadron saw the team secure their first digit, only for Ninjas in Pyjamas to snatch back the momentum off the back of a force buy in round 2. Forced to work with a brittle economy, the Swedes initially struggled, but towards the middle of the half they finally found their stride. This was expressed as a string of seven round victories after consistently shutting down Vega Squadron's fast-paced aggression. The half concluded 10-5 in Ninjas in Pyjamas's favour.

Fredrik "⁠REZ⁠" Sterner proceeded to single-handedly propel his team's lead, landing a 4k in the second pistol. A further round was accrued, followed by a squandered opportunity to extend the lead further, as a 2v5 was converted by Vega Squadron. Despite the momentary scare, Ninjas in Pyjamas did not falter, making work of the defence all the way to a map victory at 16-6, pushing the series into map three.

The final map, Mirage, saw Ninjas in Pyjamas best their adversaries on the offense, as yet another pistol round was secured by the Swedes. Back and forth ensued in the earlier stages, turning in the Ninjas' favour following a successful economic upset. Ninjas in Pyjamas proceeded to establish a 6-3 lead after four consecutive rounds were secured. In a rollercoaster of a half, Vega Squadron managed to recompose following their shortcomings, closing out the remaining six rounds of the half to get a 9-6 lead.

Vega Squadron commenced their T half with success, but the momentum was snatched from right under their feet, as Ninjas in Pyjamas asserted themselves on the defence. Despite attempting to remedy the situation with varied approaches on the T side, the Russian roster struggled to break through the defence. The Swedes allowed a mere four rounds to slip over the course of their entire CT half, besting Vega Squadron with a 16-13 score to advance to the fifth and final round of the New Challengers Stage.