Astralis' dismal RMR run ended by 9 Pandas

Denmark's most recognisable Counter-Strike brand will be absent from their third Major in a row.

9 Pandas have ended Astralis' chances of making their home Copenhagen Major with a devastating 2-0 victory (Overpass 13-11, Nuke 13-8) in the EU RMR's Decider Qualifier.

It will be the third Major that Astralis miss in a row after their failures at the RMRs for Rio and Paris, the clearest signal yet of the organization's post-pandemic decline.

The blockbuster signings of Jakob "⁠jabbi⁠" Nygaard and Martin "⁠stavn⁠" Lund, the latter of which has been in Major playoffs at every tournament since Stockholm 2021, were meant to steady the ship but only added extra pressure.

Questions should be raised over the side's inability to get the best out of their new duo — two top 20 players in 2023 — as role conflicts, a lack of a coach, ineffectual calling, and community pressure take their toll on a team with the name and brand value to compete at the very top.

"Realising we failed in the only tournament we cared about is very tough," Victor "⁠Staehr⁠" Staehr told James "⁠BanKs⁠" Banks after the match. "I think everyone felt the pressure. It's in Denmark, right? The fans expected to see us. Everyone can feel the pressure, both on and off the server."

Overpass was close on the scoreboard as 9 Pandas waited for round 24 to confirm a 13-11 win, but Astralis needed both pistols and four clutches to keep the game competitive.

A 4-8 half necessitated a CT comeback, but there was confidence in a Astralis' defense that had stood so tall in four map wins on a row on Overpass. Instead, jabbi, who ended the game 1-6 in openers, was caught on B short and the usual star duo of Benjamin "⁠blameF⁠" Bremer and Nicolai "⁠device⁠" Reedtz were traded out on A time and time again.

Staehr, on paper Astralis' weakest player in the toughest roles, was the sole bright spot with multi-kills on B, but it was a tactical and technical win for the superior 9 Pandas.

9 Pandas chose Nuke for their pick, a map they had lost four times in a row, but came in with a clear and effective game plan. The clearest sign of their confidence was hitting the Upper bomb site four times in a row to condition Astralis beyond repair, and absolutely shatter any confidence the Danes might have had left.

An unconverted 2vs4 put the half out of reach as 9 Pandas secured nine T rounds, with a 1vs2 clutch in the CT pistol courtesy of Timur "⁠clax⁠" Sabirov all but confirming the win for 9 Pandas.

9 Pandas now await other first round results to find out if they will have to play the first match on Saturday, or if they skip straight to the Major-qualifying shootout.