REZ and dev1ce shine as NiP eliminates Heroic from Flashpoint 3

Heroic and NiP were competing against each other for survival in the Flashpoint Season 3 lower bracket today. It was a chance for the winner to stay on in the tournament and inch closer to the grand finals. 

As a top three team, Heroic was always the favorite to win this series. The team has displayed exceptional understanding of the opponent’s playbook and this series was no different. Heroic lost to G2 in the upper bracket but has since found its groove in the lower bracket. The team has wins over Team Vitality, Astralis and Complexity in the lower bracket. The Ninjas in Pyjamas feature a new roster after adding Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz from Astralis. The new team is already making headlines and has ensured a top four finish at Flashpoint 3. After a controversial opener against Anonymo esports, NiP has wins over FunPlus Phoenix and BIG. 

The Flashpoint Season 3 is a Regional Major Ranking event for European teams. The tournament has a $50,000 prize pool and uses a double-elimination format. Besides the prize pool, teams also have the chance to earn valuable RMR points. These points will be useful in determining the direct invites to the PGL Stockholm Major later this year.

Heroic started strong on the T-side with TeSeS securing three kills on the pistol round. The team quickly managed an early lead on the back of the pistol round win to lead 6-2. However, NiP’s had different plans and once the team got some weapons in its hands, it fought back. Dev1ce’s two kills with the AWP helped NiP claw back into the game and bring the score to 6-5.

But Heroic’s aggression on the T-side was just too much for NiP. A weakened economy and lack of AWPs meant NiP could not execute its defense. Heroic marched off to a 10-5 first half score.

The Ninjas started Overpass with a pistol round win, but Heroic was quick with a reply. Casper "cadiaN" Møller had a dominant ace against NiP on the fourth round on Overpass, single-handedly putting a stop to the NiP aggression. Heroic rushed to a 6-1 lead, but NiP found its way back in the first half. The half ended with a respectable 9-6 score in favor of the Danes.

The second half saw both teams trade a bunch of rounds before Heroic ran away with the game. It was one round at a time towards the end as NiP held strong against Heroic.

CadiaN almost pulled off yet another 1v4 clutch in an all-important match. But the raw talent on Heroic was on full display as Martin "stavn" Lund completed a 1v3 clutch in the very next round. But there was very little separating the two teams as NiP brought the game back to overtime. Dev1ce finished regulation time with 33 kills on Overpass. There was nothing separating the two teams as they went to double overtime. They would constantly trade rounds and eventually the Ninjas pulled ahead and won Overpass 22-19.

The Ninjas continued their momentum into Mirage with a dominant T-side performance. The two teams traded rounds in the first half; but Heroic did not have any answer to NiP's aggression and synergy on the T-side.

REZ and dev1ce turned up in a big way during NiP's victory over Heroic. REZ had an 85.3 ADR while dev1ce ended the series with a 83.1 ADR. This is the first big tournament for NiP's new lineup and they have already secured a top three placement.

The Ninjas will now face G2 esports in the lower bracket final of Flashpoint 3. Mousesports has already booked its slot in the grand finals and will play the winner of the lower bracket finals match between NiP-G2 esports. All matches will be broadcast live on Twitch.

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