NiP knock Vitality out of DreamHack Masters Spring

Ninjas in Pyjamas won a three-map series against Vitality to move along the DreamHack Masters Spring lower bracket, where they will play against FaZe next.

Ninjas in Pyjamas and Vitality have built up a little rivalry with over a dozen maps played against each other in 2020. The last series, played in BLAST Premier Spring Showdown, went the way of Vitality, who qualified to the BLAST Premier Spring Finals sending the Swedes to a third-place decider where they will face MAD Lions for another shot at making it into the aforementioned tournament.

This time around Ninjas in Pyjamas started out strong on their map pick, Mirage, which they won after a convincing display on the attacking side, but were unable to show the same strength on Vitality’s pick, Nuke, which was a one-sided affair in favor of the French team. Unlike the previous maps, Inferno went down to the wire as both teams were tied up 10-10 after 20 rounds, but it was finally the Swedes who were able to take revenge on their French foes to proceed through the DreamHack Masters Spring lower bracket.

A USP ace by Mathieu "⁠ZywOo⁠" Herbaut on the A site kicked off proceedings on Mirage, but the Frenchmen were unable to capitalize on their lead as they lost against a full eco from Ninjas in Pyjamas in the second round. Vitality almost converted on a focebuy on the following round, but a 1vs3 by Hampus "⁠hampus⁠" Poser kept the Swedes ahead as they went to win the half in dominant fashion, 11-4.

Ninjas in Pyjamas kept on track towards winning the first map in the series after taking the second pistol round, and did so after only giving up a single round in the second half, the first one Vitality played with rifles, before closing out Mirage 16-5.

Ninjas in Pyjamas found success in the T-side pistol round on Nuke, but Vitality were able to bag a chaotic round which ended with a successful afterplant defense on the B site to make it 1-2. Just as Ninjas in Pyjamas dominated the attacking side of Mirage, it was now Vitality who took charge finding holes in the defense round after round, leading 12-3 at the half.

Vitality increased their lead after the second pistol round, going up 14-3 before winning against a forcebuy to hit match point. Unable to put together a proper buy, the Swedes folded as ZywOo and Kévin "⁠misutaaa⁠" Rabier got a triple and double, respectively, to move the series into the decider map.

Doubles by Simon "⁠twist⁠" Eliasson and hampus gave Ninjas in Pyjamas the CT-side pistol round on Inferno, which they were able to follow up to a 3-0 lead before the first gun round, but Vitality were quick to tie it back up with rifles in play.

The French team then took a 6-3 lead and were on their way to win another, but a 1vs2 clutch by twist kept things close early on as they proceeded to tie things up 6-6. The Swedes then kept their momentum to close the half out with a 9-6 lead.

Ninjas in Pyjamas put more ground between themselves and Vitality by winning the second pistol round, but the French squad pushed back by winning the forcebuy to go on to tie it up 10-10. Despite the setback Ninjas in Pyjamas kept charging ahead late in the game, giving up just one more round en route to a 16-11 victory.