Ninjas in Pyjamas finally managed to win its controversial rematch against Anonymo, but Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski didn’t make it easy.
The May 18 game between the two European sides by far one of the most anticipated games of Flashpoint Season 3. The two teams locked horns on May 14, but packet loss issues plagued Anonymo’s win against Ninjas in Pyjamas and created instant controversy.
We spoke internally about Flashpoint’s decision, and here is what we’ve settled on:
We will play.
There is always the possibility of Valve interfering, but if they won’t – We will play the match, FIGHT and deliver the show that this storyline needs.
— Mateusz Kowalczyk (@Sowekpl) May 18, 2021
Consequently, NiP requested a rematch that triggered a heated debate across the wider Counter-Strike: Global Offensive community. When the rematch did finally happen, over 70,000 viewers watched Ninjas in Pyjamas take down Anonymo in the upper bracket contest.
The Swedish team bagged the win, but Anonymo’s star Snax made his opponents sweat. The AWPer wiped out all five players with his USP-S in the first round of the second half.
Snax took away NiP’s one-round lead at 8-7 by patiently holding an angle in the connector and waiting for a mid push. The Polish player traded his two teammates by finishing off Hampus “hampus” Poser at mid and quickly changed positions after noticing an A-main take. From the stairs, Snax shot down NiP’s top gun Fredrik “REZ” Sterner mid-air and took cover behind jungle smoke.
A three versus one situation looked dicey for Anonymo. Snax took matters into his own hands and picked off Nicolas “Plopski” Gonzalez and shut down Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz with a crisp USP one tap. Snax became unstoppable and hunted down the lone Ninja Erik “ztr” Gustafsson hiding behind boxes.
This crucial ace earned Anonymo its first round in the second half and a much-needed equalizer. From here, Anonymo gave NiP a tough time. The nail-biting competition continued for a full 30 rounds before ending in NiP’s favour. The Polish team came up short in its efforts and lost 16-14.
Despite the loss, Anonymo’s incredible showing was lauded by viewers and notable community members. The close scoreline confirmed that Anonymo is definitely a threat to top teams in Flashpoint 3 and should be watched out for. Especially with Snax and his deadly pistol and AWP skills, Anonymo is a force to be reckoned with.
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