Renegades dismantle NiP; secure StarSeries S7 semi-final placement

Renegades successfully bested Ninjas in Pyjamas 2-0 in the third quarter-final of StarSeries S7, now set to face the winner of Natus Vincere vs. ENCE in the upcoming semi-finals.

The series kicked off on Renegades' map pick, Mirage, where the Australian quintet got off to a solid start after a B hit from the Swedes fell through, netting the defenders their first round. A back-and-forth dynamic between the two teams ensued, one that favoured the Australians in the long-term as the majority of rounds fell their way. An equal exchange in the final rounds concluded the initial half 10-5 for the CTs.

Joakim "⁠jkaem⁠" Myrbostad kicked the doors of his team's T side wide open, after two kills in a 1v3 post-plant left sole CT, Jonas "⁠Lekr0⁠" Olofsson, with insufficient time to defuse the bomb, yielding Renegades a consecutive pistol round. Ninjas in Pyjamas regained their footing once equipment was on par with the Ts, able to bridge the round discrepancy slightly, but a 1v3 clutch from Sean "⁠Gratisfaction⁠" Kaiwai gave Renegades the second wind needed to close the map at 16-11.

Having transferred onto their map pick, Ninjas in Pyjamas secured their first pistol round of the series, following with an additional two. The three-round lead proved to be short-lived, as the Australian roster demonstrated incredible confidence and comfort on the Dust2 offensive, accruing eight consecutive rounds off the bat. Christopher "⁠GeT_RiGhT⁠" Alesund and company snatched two of the four final rounds, softening their deficit at 5-10.

Renegades secured their third pistol round of the series on the CT side, additionally furthering their lead in the subsequent two rounds. Financial issues off the back of consecutive round losses exacerbated Ninjas in Pyjamas's predicament on the T side. In a last-ditch effort, the Swedes opted for a more drastic, aggressive approach in the concluding rounds of Dust2, a strategy that proved futile in stopping Aaron "⁠AZR⁠" Ward and his squad. Renegades confidently closed out the series in two maps, closing Dust2 with a dominant 16-5 scoreline.