NIP advance to PGL Major playoffs after ending Copenhagen Flames' dream run

The Swedish team will have the opportunity to play in front of a home crowd after surviving a thrilling three-map affair.

Ninjas in Pyjamas are the final team through to the playoffs of PGL Major Stockholm after beating Copenhagen Flames 2-1 in the final match of the Legends Stage, securing a spot among the top eight and ensuring they will have the opportunity to play in front of a 16,000-strong home crowd in the arena, where they will face G2 in the quarter-finals.

The Cinderella story for Copenhagen Flames comes to an end just short of a playoff berth, a campaign which kicked off in shocking fashion during the Challengers Stage, where they became one of the first two teams to advance to the top sixteen with a flawless 3-0 record. A loss to G2 at the start of the Legends Stage gave way to wins over Evil Geniuses and FaZe, but 1-2 series losses to HEROIC and Ninjas in Pyjamas now bring an end to the team's hopes of making it to the Avicii Arena.

Copenhagen Flames kicked off the series on their pick of Nuke, racing to a 3-0 start off the back of multi-kill rounds from Jakob "⁠jabbi⁠" Nygaard and Fredrik "⁠roeJ⁠" Jørgensen. Triple kills from Nicolai "⁠device⁠" Reedtz and Hampus "⁠hampus⁠" Poser in response allowed Ninjas in Pyjamas to answer back, and a cleanup of two ensuing rounds allowed the Swedish team to pull ahead, 4-3. However, that lead did not last long, and it was Copenhagen Flames who emerged on top at the end of the half, narrowly edging ahead by one round heading into the side swap.

A string of three rounds at the start of the second half once again allowed Ninjas in Pyjamas to gain the lead, but for the second time, the Danish team were quick to answer. A star performance from jabbi led a clean CT effort from Copenhagen Flames, who won eight rounds straight to shut Ninjas in Pyjamas out of the remainder of the map.

Copenhagen Flames continued to surpass expectations on Inferno, racing to a 7-1 start on the defense as Ninjas in Pyjamas once again fell flat. It was only toward the end of the half that the Swedes added to their tally, device and hampus being key in keeping their side in the running on the map as they put together four rounds for a 10-5 scoreline at the break.

Ninjas in Pyjamas's fate took a turn for the worse as Copenhagen Flames secured a pistol round victory to further extend their lead, but three Scout kills from hampus turned the tides for the Swedish side. Key kills from Linus "⁠LNZ⁠" Holtäng in banana kicked off a comeback effort for Ninjas in Pyjamas, combining with a strong showing from hampus as they looked like an entirely revitalized team, conceding just two more rounds as they rallied back to tie up the series score with a 16-13 map win.

Ancient began with more of a back-and-forth between the two teams, an early set of rounds from Ninjas in Pyjamas faltering to an aggressive stance in middle from jabbi. Two key eco rounds were what turned the tides for Ninjas in Pyjamas, with LNZ grabbing multi-kills in both and winning a 1vs2 clutch to swing momentum in his team's favor, which they converted into a 9-6 lead.

Ninjas in Pyjamas remained in the driver's seat following the break, grabbing three rounds off the bat and moving up to a 14-8 scoreline not long after. However, a swift victory was not to be, and Copenhagen Flames valiantly fought back, sustaining despite Ninjas in Pyjamas attaining match point thanks to stellar retakes from the duo of jabbi and Rasmus "⁠Zyphon⁠" Nordfoss, managing to make it to overtime. There, the Danish team took an early lead, but crucial multi-kill rounds from LNZ and hampus were what helped Ninjas in Pyjamas take things over the line, edging out a 19-17 victory.

The final standings for the Legends Stage look as follows: