Shanghai Major : NiKo’s Major Dream Derailed by FaZe

It took an earth-shattering revival from huNter- to catapult G2 into the Major. It took a malbs masterstroke to pull G2 out of a tight spot against HEROIC. It took a godlike carry from NiKo to keep the boat afloat when the flash floundered. It took a world-beating performance from m0NESY to shield G2 from the relentless storm of criticism. And it took sheer grit and determination from Snax, who stood unshaken in the face of all the allegations. But it has all crumbled for G2 in the second semi-final for the Perfect World Shanghai Major.

A dream that has eluded NiKo for the entirety of his Counter-Strike career and a dream that has eluded him once again. It wasn’t easy for him or for a roster we know is taking its final breath to reach the semi-finals and still be deemed as favourites. But despite having arguably the best player and the second best rifler at disposal, G2 has failed yet again when it has mattered the most.

The dominoes began to fall on Ancient, a map that, truth be told, FaZe had been keeping in their back pocket for the Major. They hadn’t touched it once against G2 since their BLAST Fall Groups victory, and when they did, it was an absolute stomp. A 10-2 start for FaZe was a hammer blow that shattered G2. If you want to defeat a momentum-driven team like G2, that is the blueprint of the start you need.

And the final hammer was passed down on the second map Nuke. A map that tested the resilience of FaZe. To pull a victory from the jaws of defeat, staring down the barrel of a 13-10 defeat. But to pull it all the way back to overtime and then end it there with flying colours. That is a FaZe special.

Tough call on MVP

But credit where credit’s due. Despite the brilliance from Ropz, I feel broky was the man of the hour. Bouncing back from a slump is never easy, especially under the heat of a playoff series. His performance on Mirage against Vitality showed that the slump was a thing of the past. It not even filled the void that was needed to be filled by his AWPing presence, but also helped in revitalising the team.

This sight of FaZe going into the finals is going to be a scary one for Spirit and donk. But the story unfolding infront of us is what karrigan wanted. However, the memories of the Copenhagen Major is not too distant. It is going to be a tough contest for both teams, and that is exactly how you would want the Major to go.