Image credit: ESL / Rachel Matthews
NiP Impact defeated Eternal Fire on Inferno, taking a historic map over a male roster in their CCT Season 3 EU Series 4 Closed Qualifier in an eventual 2-1 loss to the Polish/Turkish team.
The international roster secured Inferno 13-11, securing the map on their second map point following a clean retake on the B bombsite. Eternal Fire had mounted a comeback from 11-6 down to bring it to within one round, but NiP controlled their nerves to deny Eternal Fire the T-side comeback with a final round victory.
Once again, British CS was on the map as Britain’s Mia ‘aiM’ Cooper was the top fragger for NiP Impact on Inferno, dropping 20 kills in a 1.11 HLTV-rated performance, in which the Brit overaged 73.5 ADR.
The NiP Impact roster went on to lose the series 2-1 due to losses on Overpass and Mirage, but their map win showed the ability of the roster to compete against male rosters who are themselves backed by an established Counter-Strike organisation.
Unfortunately, the loss eliminates NiP from the competition, but signs for future events remain extremely positive, with eyes especially on the upcoming season of ESL Impact.
NiP Impact in form
The result follows a positive year in which NiP Impact made the semi-finals of ESL Impact Season 7 Finals, defeating an Imperial Valyries roster that had won every iteration of ESL Impact going into the event. Despite losing in the semi-finals to Supernova Comets, the roster’s achievement remained a notable mark of the growth the roster had achieved.
NiP Impact lost their long-term coach Niels Christian ‘NaToSaphiX’ Sillassen to Team Falcons’ Academy, yet the roster seems to be maintaining the progress that marked their first season of 2025 with this strong showing.
The roster has been further bolstered by the recent addition of Ana ‘Zana’ Queiroz. The Portuguese AWPer spent three years at BIG EQUIPA, in which she was a consistent fragging force, averaging a 1.15 HLTV rating for the German organisation.
ESL Impact Season 8
NIP Impact benefit from a direct invite into ESL Impact League Season 8 EU, beginning on September 10, in the hopes of once again qualifying for the ESL Impact Finals in November.
Imperial fe, Zerance, and Let Her Cook will join NIP in Impact League Season 8 EU, with other teams beginning their qualification campaign in a few weeks, on August 15.
NiP Impact are one of the betting favourites to make it two steps further than last time and claim the ESL Impact trophy for the first time in Stockholm. Judging based on this result, all things are possible for the high-flying roster.
Darragh Harbinson is an esports writer specialising in Counter-Strike. He has written for Esports News UK, Esports Insider, UKCSGO, Dexerto, and Rush B Media.
