A CSGO pro survived getting shot by an AWP, and here’s how

In a crucial 30th round at Flashpoint Season 3, G2 Esports’ François “AmaNEk” Delaunay somehow missed a point-blank AWP shot against Ninjas in Pyjamas’ Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz. 

The misfire took place in the semifinals of Flashpoint Season 3. Both teams had taken a game and were set to decide things on Dust 2. After somehow surviving the shot, dev1ce and the rest of NiP took the round to secure a spot in the grand finals. 

The play in question almost appears to be a glitch. The commentary booth immediately expressed their disbelief at dev1ce’s survival. What should’ve been a killshot to dev1ce instead passed through without dealing any damage. dev1ce responded with an AWP shot of his own before charging onto the B site, eventually winning the game for Ninjas in Pyjamas 16-14.

Early theories claimed that AmaNEk flicked to the right at the very last second, but a breakdown from Reddit user “LeTryhqrd” with visible hitboxes confirmed an even wilder reason. AmaNEk’s shot didn’t whiff at all. It passed through the teeny, tiny distance between dev1ce’s CT model and backpack. 

The hitbox void is a known issue with some player models, but it comes up so rarely that it’s easy to forget about. The space is almost impossible to hit on purpose. The situation effectively came down to luck, which is never a good thing in a $50,000 CSGO tournament. If G2 Esports advanced to the finals, they’d be squaring off against mousesports for the $17,000 grand prize. Instead, they’re stuck with a bronze medal and just $7,000.

Flashpoint Season 3 is the first event for dev1ce on NiP. His squad will face off against mousesports in the finale, who haven’t dropped a single game in the entire event. The Flashpoint Season 3 grand finals will begin on May 30 at 2 pm CDT.