GamerLegion Stages Epic Comeback to Oust Ninjas in Pyjamas from ESL Pro League in Malta Showdown
Bogdan LashchenkoGamerLegion made an impressive recovery after a challenging start in Malta, securing their spot in the ESL Pro League by defeating Ninjas in Pyjamas with a 2-1 victory. Despite a disappointing loss on Ancient (6-16), they bounced back to win on Overpass (16-14) and Inferno (16-10).
The initial match on Ancient was a struggle for GamerLegion, as they found it challenging to establish a foothold on the map. However, they didn't let this setback deter them and ultimately emerged victorious in the series. Key contributions came from Sebastian "volt" Maloș during potent T-side plays, while Sanzhar "neaLaN" Iskhakov and Isak "isak" Fahlén performed well defensively.
Ninjas in Pyjamas began the event impressively with a 2-0 win over Astralis but failed to maintain their momentum throughout the rest of the tournament, securing only one more map victory. This series mirrored their overall performance, as they started strongly but progressively weakened, ultimately being outclassed in the latter half of Inferno.
GamerLegion is now set to compete for the crucial final playoff spot, facing the winner of Grayhound vs. FURIA. Meanwhile, Ninjas in Pyjamas will be heading home.
The series kicked off on Ancient, chosen by Ninjas in Pyjamas, and it was largely one-sided in their favor. GamerLegion struggled on their CT side, particularly in the cave area, where volt, the cave player, only managed to secure his first frags in round 13. Fredrik "REZ" Sterner and Hampus "hampus" Poser dominated, securing a convincing 10-5 half in favor of Ninjas in Pyjamas.
A lost pistol round put GamerLegion at a disadvantage on offense, and they couldn't recover, leading to Ninjas in Pyjamas winning 16-6.
Next came Overpass, and after initially securing a 2-0 lead on the T side, GamerLegion faced a setback against a hero Galil on REZ. Despite this challenge, they made a remarkable recovery, ending the half with a 9-6 lead, powered by strong entry work from volt.
Ninjas in Pyjamas won their offensive pistol round and quickly tied the scores in the second half. However, GamerLegion remained composed and extended their lead to 14-10 when they acquired rifles. Kristian "k0nfig" Wienecke then delivered critical back-to-back rounds for Ninjas in Pyjamas, making it a close 16-14 victory for GamerLegion.
Inferno started with GamerLegion taking a commanding 7-1 lead on the T side, with volt once again playing a crucial role in breaking open bombsites. However, Ninjas in Pyjamas completely changed the game after a timeout and Daniil "headtr1ck" Valitov came alive, propelling them to an 8-7 score with 16 first-half frags.
In the second half, GamerLegion regained their dominance from the beginning of the game, consistently shutting down Ninjas in Pyjamas' offensive attempts. Few rounds were close, and GamerLegion secured a comfortable 16-10 victory to win the series.
Bogdan Lashchenko – content manager at EgamersWorld.Bogdan has been working at EGamersWorld since 2023. Joining the company, he began fillin the site with information, news and events.