Stage Two of the Austin Major saw two well-known Counter-Strike teams on the verge of elimination. While FaZe were able to knock out MIBR, Heroic were struck down by the underdog team Nemiga.
The Nemiga snowball – where momentum leveraged in their favour
Despite Heroic’s higher ranking and reputation, Nemiga were able to leverage momentum more frequently than their opponents.
Although down 8-4 to Heroic after the first half, Nemiga were able to apply gradual pressure as the game progressed, accumulating in rounds 18 and 22 of the map.
Beksultan ‘khaN’ Ospan played a crucial role in both of these rounds. His round 18 spray transfer in a 2v1 triggered the economy tilt into Nemiga’s favour.
A few rounds later, he was able to regain the upper hand for his team in a 3v5 fight. Following this, Heroic was unable to regain its economic footing and bounce back.
Map One, played on Mirage, was Heroic’s map pick. Their defeat on their own pick combined with Nemiga’s show of strength in the final rounds created a snowball effect.
Nemiga were able to pick up six consecutive round wins in Map Two. Despite Heroic’s best efforts, they crashed out of the competition on Dust 2.
“Hard work can beat money” – Heroic’s loss echoes Falcons early exit
On paper, Nemiga should not have been so dominant against Heroic. While Heroic were sitting at 13 in Valve’s regional ranking on the day of the match, Nemiga were sitting at 45.
At the start of the broadcast, host James Banks dubbed Nemiga as the wildcard of the day’s competition.
The roster is early in its competitive journey. The players are Major rookies, with Austin being the first Major tournament they have qualified for.
Prominent esports community figure and self-dubbed “Esports Historian,” Thorin, commented on Heroic’s loss, calling out the pattern of popular teams buying high-ranked players instead of training rookies.
A pattern has emerged in the BLAST Austin Major, with several popular teams stumbling in the tournament’s early stages.
In a shocking twist, the Falcons were also eliminated in Stage Two. Their early tournament exit forced fans to watch Counter-Strike Legends such as Nikols ‘NiKo’ Kovac, Ilya ‘mONESY’ Osipov, and Emil ‘Magisk’ Reif walk away from the competition.
Although they qualified for Stage Three, FaZe scraped out of Stage Two by the skin of their teeth.
Arguably the most famous Counter-Strike player of all time, Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyljev, faced the same fate as Falcons. It was FaZe’s 2-0 win against MIBR that allowed the team to claw their way out of danger.
Heavy-hitting Champions enter the arena for Stage Three
Nemiga have defended their place in the competition in Stage Two. However, Stage Three welcomes the most successful teams to the tournament.
Looking to extend their six-trophy win streak, Team Vitality now enter the fray to reach the Playoffs. The French Counter-Strike team is currently at the top of their game, right off the back of their IEM Dallas win.
If Nemiga are to reach the playoffs, they have a long road ahead.
Hannah is a writer specialising in the esports, gaming, and technology sectors. Working for outlets such as Dot Esports, Esports Insider, and of course ENUK, she has developed a love for wider esports and Apex Legends, although it may never surpass her drive to passionately beat her friends in every game of Mariokart. You may have seen her at various esports and gaming events, including ESI London, EGX, Discover: Esports and many League of Legends watch parties.
