EU RMR B: Day three as it happened

13-4-2023 19:38

This was a live updated post with the latest from Group B of the BLAST.tv Paris Major European qualifier.

Summary

— HEROIC and 9INE go straight into the Legends stage
— Spirit and iNation were the first teams to be eliminated
— NIP eliminated Astralis in the highlight 1-2 matchup
— Aurora and ENCE triumph over Eternal Fire and 500 in 1-2 games
— Monte beat FORZE to qualify for the Major
— Vitality through to Paris Major with win over BIG
— G2 defeat Cloud9 to return to the Major

NiKo: "We expected it to be a really hard game"
19:37 - NER0

Nikola "⁠NiKo⁠" Kovač was proud of G2 after making light work of Cloud9:

"I think this win really helped our confidence a lot. We expected it to be a really hard game but it ended up being quite convincing. We did struggle a bit on Inferno in the second half but I think we were in control throughout the whole game."

"So yeah, really happy with the performance here at the RMR. We had a slow start, but we picked up the pace and qualified."

G2 lock in Major spot
19:29 - Sumljiv

Well, that got close. A hard-won 16-13 win on Inferno was enough to secure the victory for G2 and mark their return to a Major, with a low-economy buy getting them over the line.

The European combine put their opening-round loss to 9INE behind them and battled through iNation, Aurora, and Cloud9 to progress to the Major.

Whether they will join the competition in the Challengers or Legends Stage is yet to be decided by virtue of a 3rd place decider bracket. Their first opponents there are Vitality, with Monte awaiting the winners of that match.

C9 mount a comeback
19:09 - Sumljiv

After finding themselves 13-5 down, Cloud9 have put together a solid comeback attempt and sit at double digits after winning five out of six.

With G2 just four rounds ahead, are we about to see a choke?

Another 10-5 half
18:46 - Sumljiv

G2 have repeated their opening half from Vertigo and once again took a 10-5 lead.

Rasmus "⁠HooXi⁠" Nielsen even finished the half with a knife kill on Dmitry "⁠sh1ro⁠" Sokolov, which says a lot about the confidence the European combine are exuding right now.

dupreeh: 19th Major "felt like something I could achieve"
18:41 - NER0

We spoke with Peter "⁠dupreeh⁠" Rasmussen after he became the only player to qualify for all nineteen Majors.

"[Making 19/19 Majors] is an achievement that, I wouldn't say I was aiming at, but it's something that I've just always felt was something I could achieve. Playing professional CS you want to be at the top and making it to all Majors is a must if you want to be on top. So knowing that my level has been up and down but still making it to the Majors and being consistent — that means a lot to me. I'm just happy."

"When it was announced to be in Paris it meant a lot to the whole team because we have French players but also it meant a lot to the org, the French community. Having a Major is special. Having to play on home soil is special. The org has been aiming for this for a long time and finally it happens."

"The pressure of course has been there; even in January we had a talk about the whole Major preparation, how we're going to do it, it's going to be pressure. For now, the pressure is done because we qualified but it's going to return as soon as we go to Paris."

"It's a dangerous move to [expect to win the Major]. It's a wish, and could be a goal because it's the last one, it's in Paris. It would be the cherry on top. But for me I want to experience the arena, and play there with all the French fans. That is the first soft goal and we'll figure out how everything goes from there."

G2's dominance continues
18:29 - Sumljiv

G2 are showing no sign of stopping after a dominant Vertigo, finding early success on Inferno to lead 7-0.

Time is running out for the Russian squad to find their form. This loss wouldn't eliminate Cloud9 as they would join the 2-2 pool, but a tough matchup against ENCE is awaiting them in the final round of Swiss.

Vitality have done it!
18:22 - Nohte

Vitality have ensured they will compete at Dan "⁠apEX⁠" Madesclaire and Mathieu "⁠ZywOo⁠" Herbaut's home Major after defeating BIG 2-1, dominating the German side on the Overpass decider 16-7. The European combine beat Astralis and Ninjas in Pyjamas in previous matchups before being temporarily set back by 9INE in their first qualifying series, but managed to take things over the line on their second attempt.

A difficult path awaits the team if they hope to also secure the final Legends spot on offer as they will first need to beat the winner of G2 vs. Cloud9 in the third-place decider bracket, and then need another victory over Monte to make it through.

G2 one map away from securing a Major berth
17:59 - Sumljiv

After suffering heartbreak at the IEM Rio Major RMR the previous time around, G2 look to make amends and secure a Major spot in Paris. They opened the series with a confident 16-6 victory on Cloud9's pick of Vertigo, with HooXi ending the game with 26 kills and 113 ADR. G2 now require a victory on either Inferno or Ancient to lock in their Major appearance.

It's an 11-4 lead for Vitality as they swap to the T side
17:55 - Nohte

The European combine have established a firm foothold on the decider map and are up 11-4 heading into the break, putting them just five rounds shy of qualifying for the Paris Major.

G2 stay ahead at the half
17:41 - Sumljiv

After a strong 7-0 start G2 cooled off, and their deficit was reduced to just two rounds. Ilya "⁠m0NESY⁠" Osipov was the one to deliver on an eco round, hitting three crisp Deagle shots to secure a round for G2 to break Cloud9's streak and put them back in the driver's seat to close out the half 10-5.

Vitality jump ahead on the decider
17:38 - Nohte

Vitality are up 7-2 on the CT side of Overpass after ZywOo powered his side to a pistol round victory with a Dualies quad kill. BIG are trying to find their footing and just recorded their first two rounds, but Vitality's coffers will take much more time to deplete.

Final match of the day begins; G2 start strong
17:20 - Sumljiv

A battle between G2 and Cloud9 is underway, with the veto the same as it was in their ESL Pro League S17 bout which the Russian squad won 2-0 — Vertigo, Inferno, and the decider of Ancient. We will also be treated to a head-to-head battle between Abay "⁠HObbit⁠" Khassenov and NiKo, who have shown fantastic form at the RMR so far.

G2 are looking much better than at EPL and have taken a commanding 7-1 lead on the CT side of Vertigo. HooXi currently sits on top of the scoreboard, putting up 10 kills and 123 ADR in the opening exchanges.

sdy: "I feel like I'm doing everything right"
17:14 - NER0

We had a chat with Viktor "⁠sdy⁠" Orudzhev after Monte qualified for the Major over FORZE:

"It took a lot of power and pressure for me to [come to a younger team and qualify] but it's so much better for me. I feel like I'm doing everything right and believe in what we're doing as a team."

"It means the world for every Ukrainian player in our team. With what's going on, our people have too much pain right now, for us as well, and this is a good present for them."

Watch: Monte's qualification moment
17:11 - NER0

Vitality force the decider
17:05 - Striker

Despite Johannes "⁠tabseN⁠" Wodarz's best efforts, Vitality won Nuke 16-9 and force the deciding map. We're heading to Overpass, where Vitality will have to break their three-map losing streak if they want to clinch a spot in Paris.

Clip: ZywOo unleashes Dualies (11-5)
16:51 - Striker

Monte qualify for BLAST.tv Paris Major
16:47 - GSTK

Monte have completed their surprise run with a 3-1 record to earn a berth to CS:GO's last-ever Major.

The Ukrainian roster were firmly in the driver's seat once on the T-side, allowing FORZE just three extra rounds before Volodymyr "⁠Woro2k⁠" Veletniuk and company took home a well-deserved victory, 16-9, to win the series 2-0.

The squad will now look ahead to their run through the third-place decider throughout Friday and Saturday, where the winning team will earn a coveted spot in the Legends Stage — a ticket to bypass the Challengers Stage altogether.

FORZE's chance to make the Major now rests on a best-of-three win in the 2-2 pool on Friday.

Vitality cruise to a 10-round half
16:45 - Striker

Vitality abused the upper bombsite repeatedly on their way to a 10-round half on the Terrorist side.

Spinx gets off to blistering start
16:30 - Striker

Lotan "⁠Spinx⁠" Giladi has been key to Vitality's success so far on the Terrorist side of Nuke, with two quad-kills and two doubles putting his team in control of the first half for now. Here's a flashy double and some quick thinking from the Israeli when he was being pushed from hut:

Monte up at halftime once more
16:25 - GSTK

Monte retained their evergrowing grip on power as the first half progressed. The deadly duo of Mohammad "⁠BOROS⁠" Malhas and sdy continued to lay down the law after strong 20+ kill showings on Anubis, now combining for 31 kills in a 9-6 half in favor of the Ukrainian roster on Overpass.

Monte now sit six rounds away from a spot at the upcoming Major; FORZE will be gunning to spoil the party, though, and hope to send the qualification series to an Ancient decider.

Level pegging to get Overpass started
16:12 - GSTK

FORZE and Monte are neck-and-neck at the start of Overpass. The Russians initially enjoyed a 4-1 start on the T-side, but a strong defensive posture — including a flawless 5vs4 retake — allowed the Ukrainian-majority ensemble to tie things up at four rounds apiece.

Woro2k's men are using their new-found recovery to build up their finances as the half ticks over the midpoint.

BOROS remains the player to watch, with the Jordanian currently sitting on 11 frags and 100+ ADR, over twice as many kills as sdy's five.

BIG breeze past Vitality on Mirage
16:00 - Striker

The German's Mirage pick was well deserved. BIG never looked in danger, immediately reaching match point on the back of that pistol round win. They took some time to close it, but did so with plenty of opportunities still left at 16-10.

Next up is Nuke, where BIG have been shaky in recent times facing some tier-two teams and Vitality won up against tier-one opposition on the last four occasions, albeit in close fashion.

Monte convert Anubis pick, series moves to Overpass
15:45 - GSTK

FORZE managed to add two rounds to their tally to get one hand on double digits, but that proved to be all the Russians could muster.

Monte ended up reaching the all-important 16th round with ease; BOROS and Sergiy "⁠DemQQ⁠" Demchenko combined with a double kill each to allow the Ukrainians to lead 1-0 in the series and send the match to FORZE's Overpass pick.

An important reminder: The eventual winner of the series will qualify for the BLAST.tv Paris Major, set to play out on May 8-21. Monte have already raised eyebrows with victories over Cloud9 and ENCE. A win over FORZE is definitely within the realms of possibility, and qualification to CS:GO's final Major would be a huge landmark achievement for the Ukrainian side.

BIG maintain lead over Vitality
15:38 - Striker

Vitality recovered from the slow start in the half, but still trailed by three rounds heading into the offense and they've now lost the second pistol round, as ZywOo could not overturn a 2v4 situation in the B bombsite retake.

Monte inch closer to converting map pick
15:34 - GSTK

Monte have recovered after being thrown into a back-and-forth to start the second half. The Ukrainian-majority lineup are now on a five-round winning spree and are just two rounds away from closing out their pick, 14-9.

FORZE will need to come alive on the CT-side and force a full-distance map if they're to bring things back. It's looking increasingly unlikely, however; Monte are finding their groove.

BIG build early lead over Vitality in 2-1 matchup
15:18 - GSTK

The 2-1 series between BIG and Vitality has begun on the Germans' pick of Mirage, with tabseN and company currently ahead with a 6-1 lead.

The winner of the series will qualify for the BLAST.tv Paris Major, whilst the loser will fall to the 2-2 pool and play for their own spot on Friday.

Date	Matches
BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 Europe RMR B
13/04/2023	BIG Finished 1:2 Vitality	Match

Monte narrowly ahead at halftime on Anubis
15:15 - GSTK

Monte's grip on the game has loosened slightly, but the Ukrainians still maintain a slight lead over their opponents on Anubis, 8-7.

There is a four-way tie for server leader at the minute. BOROS and sdy sit on 12 kills apiece on the Monte side, whilst Evgeny "⁠r3salt⁠" Frolov and Aleksandr "⁠zorte⁠" Zagodyrenko boast 12 kills of their own for FORZE.

FORZE might have reduced the deficit down to just one round, but it's time for them to now be on the more challenging CT-side. Conversely, Monte swap to the attack, which is the more favored side on Anubis with 55.3% of rounds going the way of the Ts.

FORZE versus Monte gets underway on Anubis
14:51 - GSTK

The next matchup of the day has gone live, as FORZE and Monte have already begun their 2-1 pool series on the Ukrainians' pick of Anubis.

It's a map sdy and company are very comfortable on. They currently boast an impressive 85% win rate on the Egypt-inspired battleground over 26 outings, in contrast to FORZE's 60% over 15 maps played.

Monte's proficiency on Anubis is already clear to see; the squad are currently nesting a 6-1 lead on the CT-side after overturning FORZE's initial win in the pistol round.

ENCE eliminate 500 after overtime
14:43 - Striker

That Álvaro "⁠SunPayus⁠" García 1v2 clutch proved key for ENCE to close the match 2-0. Commiserations to 500, who are eliminated with a 1-3 record. The Bulgarians entered the tournament as the second-lowest-ranked team and showed they can be competitive when facing much more experienced teams.

Clip: SunPayus 1v2 pushes ENCE to match point
14:38 - Striker

ENCE and 500 head to overtime
14:30 - Striker

As if we didn't have enough overtimes in the opening stages of day three, ENCE take it to extra time against 500 after surviving three map points.

KENSI drops 35 kills as Aurora eliminate Eternal Fire
14:29 - GSTK

It's all over for Eternal Fire. The Turkish roster have been sent packing from Denmark at the hands of Aurora, who prevailed in yet another overtime, 19-16.

Just like Mirage, the Turkish lineup forced overtime, but the Russians again came alive in extra rounds, picking up four rounds from five to send the the Engin "⁠MAJ3R⁠" Küpeli-led roster home.

Without a doubt, Aurora will be singing Aleksandr "⁠KENSI⁠" Gurkin's praises for some time to come. The 21-year-old ended the deciding map with 35 frags to his name, eight kills more than Evgeny "⁠Norwi⁠" Ermolin, his closest peer.

Aurora move to the 2-2 pool in Denmark, where one more best-of-three win is required for the Russian team to earn a spot at CS:GO's final Major.

The loss will be a bitter blow for Eternal Fire, who have now missed out on a Major berth in back-to-back RMR campaigns. The team previously finished in 12-14th place at the IEM Road to Rio RMR back in October, with the Turks' current run in Denmark ending exactly the same way.

Aurora vs. Eternal Fire goes to overtime once more
14:18 - GSTK

It's the second overtime of the elimination series between Aurora and Eternal Fire. The two teams first went to extra rounds on Mirage, where the Russians prevailed 19-15 to lead 1-0.

The Russians had two chances to clinch victory in regulation, but a loss via time in round 29 gave way to a dire buy in round 30, something the Turks exploited fully to force overtime.

The Turkish team have been a mixed bag of emotions of Inferno, and it's hard to imagine how either side is feeling at this point in time with elimination on the line.

Photo reel: Astralis' elimination
14:18 - Striker

Check out our day three gallery, as captured by Josip "brcho" Brtan.

Emotions running high as Inferno reaches dying stages
14:09 - GSTK

The dying stages of Inferno — the series' decider — are fast approaching, with Aurora barely leading 14-13 with just three rounds left of regulation.

It's an incredibly stressful time. Ömer "⁠imoRR⁠" Karataş is visibly frustrated as the Turks lose yet another retake due to having no defuse kit on hand.

It's a battle of stamina at this point.

ENCE back in control
13:48 - Striker

The story from the first map repeats itself. ENCE are recovering from the early deficit with seven in a row on the CT side. Pavle "⁠Maden⁠" Bošković is putting up a confidence-boosting performance after he went missing in some of the previous matches — three consecutive multikills from the Montenegrin were a big help.

Aurora win pistol round by the skin of their teeth
13:45 - GSTK

Aurora will be counting their lucky stars after this. The team won the second pistol round of Inferno by bomb explosion, with 0.01 seconds left on imoRR' defuse timer before the C4 detonated.

The Russians have capitalized and brought the map back to a dead-even 9-9 stalemate. Both teams sit seven rounds away from eliminating their opponents. Game on.

Aurora reduce deficit on Inferno, down by three
13:40 - GSTK

Aurora are slowly getting back in the game, shutting down Eternal Fire's site hits with well-thought-out defensive holds. The Turkish outfit still lead, but the advantage is by just three rounds and is no longer the biggest of buffers when you consider the potential their original 6-2 start had.

KENSI, the Russians' best performer in the series so far, is continuing to be worth his weight in gold. The 21-year-old is currently leading the map with an 18-9 K-D and is the main reason that his team remains competitive.

Regardless, KENSI was unable to clutch a 1vs2 in round 15 — an aggravating loss as the Russian youngster pounds his table once in anger. He will need to keep his emotions in check should Aurora get back into the game.

We head into the second half of play now; it's crunch time.

500 with another early lead
13:35 - Striker

The elimination game has moved into 500's Overpass pick and the Bulgarians are up 5-1 with Denislav "⁠dennyslaw⁠" Dimitrov leading the way. The map is clearly their favorite with 23 maps played in the past three months, but their record on it is rather so-so — 12-11.

Eternal Fire up early on Inferno
13:22 - GSTK

Inferno is underway and it's Eternal Fire who have enjoyed a better start on the decider. The Turks sport a 6-2 lead on the T-side, with Buğra "⁠Calyx⁠" Arkın sitting on nine kills as his team's leading figure.

Aurora look a bit lost in the server, and their vocal outbursts when they were 10-5 up on Anubis are nowhere to be seen anymore. Whatever is going wrong in the Russian camp will need to be sorted out as soon as possible, or a Turkish reverse sweep is definitely a very real possibility.

NertZ with another banger
13:09 - Striker

500 did well to keep themselves in the fight early on with a 6-2 lead, but from there it was all about ENCE, who went 14-2 to secure the opening map of Nuke.

Guy "⁠NertZ⁠" Iluz has continued to prove why he has been a superb addition to this team with 30 kills, 10 multikills, and 121 ADR. The Israeli is currently the joint highest-rated player of the tournament with an average rating of 1.45 across five maps.

Have your say
13:07 - NER0

We want to hear from you: Give us your best takes on the RMR, whether it's Astralis' demise, the games that are live, or something completely new. We'll feature the best responses right here in the live post.

Just reply to our story here.

Eternal Fire force Inferno decider
12:57 - GSTK

Aurora's initial 10-5 advantage proved to be too little, with Eternal Fire conceding just two rounds on the T-side to force a trip to Inferno in the elimination series, much to the jubilation of their fans.

The Turkish roster owe a vast majority of their thanks to imoRR, who continued to stand out on Anubis with a server-leading 29 kills on the map to ensure his team stay alive in Denmark.

It's time for the Aurora to reset after suffering such a gut-wrenching loss. Eternal Fire, meanwhile, will be brimming with confidence, eager to keep their foot on the gas as the matchup heads to the final map of the veto.

Just a lone percentage point separates the two teams' win rates on the map. Aurora have won 69% of their last 13 outings on Inferno, while Eternal Fire are on a 70% win rate over 10 maps played. Again, it's too tough to call who will triumph in this one.

Eternal Fire comeback gains steam on Anubis
12:45 - GSTK

Aurora added their second pistol round of the map, but in predictable fashion, the Turks responded with an eco-round win to steal away momentum.

MAJ3R's troops appear to be full of confidence now and the deficit is now completely erased; the Turks have taken the lead, 13-11, moving into the final phase of play.

Once again in the series, it's anyone's game now and Eternal Fire are mere rounds away from forcing an Inferno decider in the elimination meeting.

ENCE and 500 kick off
12:40 - NER0

ENCE and 500 are live on Nuke, with the Bulgarians up to a 7-4 lead on their CT side.

Date	Matches
BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 Europe RMR B
13/04/2023	500 Finished 0:2 ENCE	Match

Stats: Astralis dismantled
12:38 - NER0

Astralis won three out of four pistols in this best of three, but mightily struggled in the gun rounds. On Vertigo they secured 17 first kills, but lost the map 16:11.

Heartbreak for Astralis
12:23 - NER0

Aleksib: "Wins like this are crucial for any team's build-up"
12:22 - NER0

We spoke with Aleksi "⁠Aleksib⁠" Virolainen after Ninjas in Pyjamas defeated Astralis:

"We did have a really good preparation, but it's always one thing to have good prep and another to make it work, to do our job. I feel like today, everyone came in clutch right from the start. We played so good with the information and we were constantly reacting with what was being said. And that's the reason we played such a good CT side."

We also asked him if he felt like it was starting to come together now for Ninjas in Pyjamas: "I mean... We just win one game, I think it's a long way still. As you've seen us struggle, but wins like this are crucial for any team's build-up."

k0nfig erupts as NIP eliminate Astralis
12:18 - NER0

imoRR steps up, but Aurora close in on victory
12:12 - GSTK

Aurora are now six rounds away from eliminating Eternal Fire from Major contention.

Regardless, imoRR has stepped up massively in the closing stages of the half to keep the Turks in the game. The 23-year-old picked up a stellar ace in the 14th round before gifting his side a 5vs3 in the 15th. This proved to be in vain, though, as his team still ended up conceding the last round of the half after a triple kill from Viktor "⁠Lack1⁠" Boldyrev's AWP.

10-5 at the break for Aurora — the Russians are closing in on victory and warning signs are starting to blare for Eternal Fire.

Astralis eliminated from Paris Major contention
12:02 - Striker

Vertigo goes the way of Ninjas in Pyjamas after a 7-1 streak in gunrounds and sends Astralis home with a 1-3 record in the RMR tournament.

Blank expressions all around the Astralis camp. No Paris Major for them — their second consecutive Major missed after Rio.

Aurora pile on pressure to ensure first-half win on Anubis
12:00 - GSTK

Aurora didn't look fazed after almost letting their early lead slip to Eternal Fire's low-investment buy.

The Russians have now raced ahead and nest a comfortable 8-2 lead on the T-side, with KENSI's 11-4 performance currently leading the way in the server.

Time is running out for the Turkish troupe to find their footing. It's important to remember that MAJ3R's men are now one map away from elimination after losing Mirage in overtime, and a win on Anubis is absolutely needed if they're to stay alive in Copenhagen.

Clip: 1v2 defuse brings NIP to 14
11:55 - Striker

It's gone from bad to worse for Astralis. Their failures to convert 5v4 advantages have continued to haunt them and now they're two rounds away from being eliminated after Kristian "⁠k0nfig⁠" Wienecke defuses in a 1v2 situation:

Back-to-back eco wins to get Anubis underway
11:50 - GSTK

Anubis already has a lot of the same that was seen on Mirage, with both teams exchanging eco rounds to gift Aurora a slender lead.

The Russians comfortably converted their new-found advantage and will undoubtedly breathe a sigh of relief after almost allowing the Turks a chance to run away with things on their map pick.

Aurora now need to ensure their early-map victory doesn't go to waste as the first half starts to get going. It's currently 3-1 to the Russians, who also have a 1-0 lead in the elimination series. The pressure is now on the Turks to stop the series from slipping further and further away.

Vertigo on even keel early in the second half
11:44 - Striker

Astralis picked up the pistol round with a blistering B bombsite split, but Ninjas in Pyjamas have won the first two gunrounds, so we are level at 10-10.

Astralis take lead on Vertigo
11:27 - Striker

Two quad-kills from Benjamin "⁠blameF⁠" Bremer around A ramp have put Astralis back into contention for the second map as they have recovered from a 1-6 start to get into the lead.

Aurora clinch Mirage pick in overtime
11:26 - GSTK

Aurora dug deep into their strat book and pulled out a flawless three-round T-side campaign in overtime, closing the map out 19-15 to convert their map pick and lead 1-0 in the elimination series.

While regulation was a scrappy affair featuring a plethora of questionable plays, overtime was an entirely different story. Aurora finally looked comfortable and you could see that the Turks — who once led 14-12 on the CT-side — had well and truly ran out of steam.

MAJ3R and co. can't dwell on the loss too much though, as play now makes its way to Anubis for the Turks' own map pick, where a win is required if Eternal Fire are to force an Inferno decider and avoid an untimely 1-3 exit from the RMR in Copenhagen.

Aurora will be a tough nut to crack on the Egypt-inspired map, however. The Russians sport a 58% win rate on Anubis and will not be a push over. Eternal Fire will need to ensure their decision to play the map pays off now — there's no going back.

Aurora versus Eternal Fire goes to overtime on Mirage
11:16 - GSTK

Mirage has been a scrappy affair so far, and 30 rounds of play weren't enough to separate the two sides.

Eternal Fire were the first team to get to 14 rounds, but a three-round spree from the Russians earned Aurora map point and set the stage for Lack1 to clinch their map pick.

Alas, Calyx came alive in round 30 to keep his team alive, putting a double kill on the board — including a 1vs1 clutch — to force a trip to overtime, where the two teams will undoubtedly feel the added pressure.

NIP get off well on Vertigo
11:10 - Striker

A 4-0 start on the Terrorist side after Ninjas in Pyjamas turn two separate 3v5 disadvantages, in the pistol round and in the first gunround. Astralis struggled to convert early picks yesterday on Mirage, too, and the same has cost them in a couple of key rounds here so far.

Aurora versus Eternal Fire remains hard-fought
10:57 - GSTK

Mirage continues to be anyone's game as the second half progresses. Aurora stole away the momentum on the back of four one deags in round 18, but the Turks responded in kind three rounds later to inch to a one-round advantage, 11-10.

It's important to remember that this is the Russians' map pick, and it's imperative that Lack1's troops get a leg-up in the series before play transitions to the Turks' choice of Anubis, where they currently boast a 67% win rate over 15 maps.

Two pistol round wins, just four in total from Astralis
10:49 - Striker

Ninjas in Pyjamas won another halfbuy to start the second half and went on to cruise to a 16-4 victory on their opponents' pick, which also happens to be their own strength. Astralis got completely outclassed despite winning both pistol rounds in the map.

Ludvig "⁠Brollan⁠" Brolin ended the map with a 9:0 record in opening duels, just to rub salt in the wound.

Aurora come back to reduce deficit to one round at halftime
10:39 - GSTK

Eternal Fire's strong start on the series opener lost its momentum as the half progressed, with the Russians erecting a stalwart defensive wall once they found their footing.

Ismailcan "⁠XANTARES⁠" Dörtkardeş bested Vladislav "⁠lattykk⁠" Vydrin in a 1vs1 in the final round of the half to keep his side ahead 8-7 at the switch, but the Turkish quintet will undoubtedly be disappointed that they were unable to capitalize on their initial 7-3 advantage at the start of the map.

It's currently Ivan "⁠SELLTER⁠" Miroshnikov and XANTARES who are leading the server and their teams at the minute; the Russian and Turk boast 13 kills apiece, but several other individuals are right behind. The match is too close to call at the minute.

NIP went on an 11-round streak after the eco win
10:31 - Striker

Ninjas in Pyjamas won eleven rounds in a row on the CT side and are now pretty much a shoo-in to win Astralis' pick after ending the half 12-3 up. The Danes need to conjure up something special to stay in this, but so far they have looked outmatched, most of the rounds weren't even very close — they only planted the bomb once in that 11-round streak.

Eternal Fire accrue an early lead on Mirage
10:22 - GSTK

Eternal Fire have gotten off to a strong start on the T-side of Mirage, Aurora's pick, and currently nurture a 5-3 lead. The Turks are all pulling their weight thus far, with no specific player leading by a substantial margin.

Aurora managed to earn some respite thanks to a 1vs1 clutch from lattykk in round eight, but will still need to find a more permanent answer soon if they're to stabilize and prevent their map selection from spiraling out of control.

NIP win an eco to break Astralis early
10:12 - Striker

Nuke starts and Astralis get picked off one by one in yard, facing saved pistols and a Scout.

Astralis versus NIP, Aurora duel Eternal Fire in elimination matchups
10:04 - GSTK

It's do-or-die for Astralis and Ninjas in Pyjamas & Eternal Fire and Aurora as the four teams hop in the server for a chance to keep their Major-qualifying hopes alive.

k0nfig will be playing Astralis, his former team, for the first time since his removal from the roster in September 2022.

The Turks and Russians are yet to face each other in a competitive matchup, but MAJ3R and company have a slight statistical edge and are ranked No. 21 to Aurora's No. 39 on the world ranking.

k0nfig and device comment on facing their former teams
10:00 - Striker

In an interview with Harry "⁠JustHarry⁠" Russell on the official BLAST broadcast, the two opponents shared their thoughts on playing their former organizations:

k0nfig: "It's gonna be an exciting matchup for me personally, because I wanna beat them, right? I think that it's gonna be a really great matchup, cos they're in a little bit of a slump, we're in a bit of a slump, so let's see who gets out on top."

Nicolai "⁠device⁠" Reedtz: "I didn't play with k0nfig myself, so it doesn't mean so much for me who we're facing. It's more about ourselves and our mentality and that we really want this."

The state of play
09:46 - NER0

HEROIC and 9INE confirmed their qualification yesterday, sending G2 down into the tricky 2-1 bracket where Cloud9 await them. We also saw the elimination of Spirit and iNation. All is still to play for today: Three more teams will make the Major, and another three will go home.

Group Swiss

3W - 0L

HEROIC

9INE

3W - 1L

Monte

Vitality

2W - 2L

BIG

1W - 3L

500

0W - 3L

Spirit

iNation

Pre-match reading
09:45 - NER0

Maj3r: "It's possible for us to qualify"
SunPayus: "The EPL honeymoon died down"
Jerry: "Fierce was the key"

Astralis and ENCE look to recover from 0-2
09:39 - NER0

In Group A OG managed to recover from 0-2 down to qualify for the Major, and ENCE and Astralis will look to do the same. ENCE face 500 next, while Astralis and will face k0nfig and Ninjas in Pyjamas for the first time since they removed the rifler.

It's also a hot prospect because of device's presence, though only Fredrik "⁠REZ⁠" Sterner remains from the AWPer's time at the Ninjas. For a more lyrical preview, there's always the HLTV Forums

Date	Matches
BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 Europe RMR B
13/04/2023	Aurora Finished 2:1 Eternal Fire	Match
13/04/2023	Ninjas in Pyjamas Finished 2:0 Astralis	Match
13/04/2023	500 Finished 0:2 ENCE	Match
13/04/2023	FORZE Finished 0:2 Monte	Match
13/04/2023	BIG Finished 1:2 Vitality	Match
13/04/2023	Cloud9 Finished 0:2 G2	Match