Heroic defeat NKT in Showdown quarter-finals

The Danish squad were ultimately comfortable winners, but NKT showed signs of real promise.

NKT were unable to pick up a map in their first series in an international event, losing 0-2 to HEROIC on Inferno and Nuke. It was not as one-sided as many might have expected, with NKT putting together respectable performances on the CT half of both maps.

The series opened on the NKT pick of Inferno, and they were soundly beaten on the map. HEROIC, starting on the CT side, outclassed their opposition consistently, with few of the rounds even coming close.

The Asian squad did manage to get a few rounds down to clutch situations, and the two that their newest player, Tuvshintugs "⁠Annihilation⁠" Nyamdorj, managed to win were the only two rounds that NKT picked up on their T side.

NKT had a far more effective CT side, and winning the pistol allowed them to put together a streak of rounds at the start of the second period to put HEROIC under some pressure. Unfortunately it was not enough, and the Danes managed to close the map out 16-7 with some fast-paced rounds.

Next up was HEROIC's pick of Nuke, with the Danes starting on the offense. NKT's passive outside hold gave HEROIC some early difficulties, getting the Asian squad out to a 6-0 lead before Casper "⁠cadiaN⁠" Møller and co. could answer.

A combination of focusing on the lower bombsite and faster paced rounds got HEROIC four in a row, but NKT erected a defensive wall once again, getting to 10 rounds before the Danes picked up their fifth to end the half.

Once again NKT struggled badly on their offense, getting the bomb down only twice and picking up a single round as HEROIC comfortably closed out the map 16-11, thus eliminating NKT from the BLAST Premier Spring Showdown.