RMR Europe A: 0-2 of NIP and ITB stands out on Day 1

At the point of the Paris Major’s second stage for NIP and Major playoffs for ITB, both teams are in a critical position with a potential defeat on the horizon at RMR Europe A.

RMR tournaments are qualifiers for the Major. The upcoming Major is PGL Major Copenhagen in March and it is the first in CS2. The European region is split into two groups: A and B. Eight will qualify for the Major from each group. Presently, RMR Europe A is ongoing.

Teams will battle in a best-of-one Swiss format. Critical matches that will determine elimination or qualification will be a best-of-three contest.

There are no surprises amongst the teams leading 2-0 in RMR Europe A. The standout performance was by Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov against Eternal Fire in the day’s second game.

The match went into overtime, with the Turks having a chance to seal the win. However, an outstanding performance by m0NESY kept them at bay.

m0NESY’s match stats were:

Natus Vincere and Virtus.pro, both leading at 2-0, are set to face each other tomorrow following relatively unchallenged games on Day 1. The day commenced with FaZe Clan defeating 9Pandas. Finn “karrigan” Andersen’s team then proceeded to secure victory over the Falcons, a win punctuated by FaZe’s Danish IGL achieving the clutch in the final round.

Ninjas in Pajamas and Into The Breach are now treading on thin ice at RMR Europe A, as neither team can afford further losses in the tournament.

ITB, which managed to reach the playoffs of the last Major, has had a lackluster showing at RMR. The team has undergone multiple changes since its good performance in the Major, including the departure of Cai “CYPHER” Watson and Sebastian “volt” Maloș.

The English team faced harsh losses against G2 (13-3) and BetBoom (13-1).

Meanwhile, Ninjas in Pajamas is far from regaining its former glory in the CS scene, despite several team adjustments showcased in a mini-documentary by the organization. As confessed in the documentary, NIP’s long-term plan is to be a highly competitive team and to sign superstars, as they have previously done with Nicolai “device” Reedtz and Ludwig “Brollan” Brolin.

Despite high-profile signings such as device and Brollan, NIP has been unable to reach the top (Image via NIP)

However, NIP currently finds itself in an unfavorable position. Two losses to Eternal Fire and AMKAL have left the team with no room for further errors at RMR.

Similarly, the French team 3DMAX and the Portuguese team SAW stand at 0-2 in RMR Europe A. In the map against Falcons, 3DMAX’s strong start, including an 8-5 lead on Nuke after a clutch from Ali “hadji” Haïnouss, raised expectations. However, a weak T-side performance allowed the Falcons to secure the match.