Complexity beat Aurora to book a semi-final slot at PGL Bucharest 2025

Grim and hallzerk carry the underdogs to a 2-1 win and extend the dream run.

Complexity's miracle campaign in Bucharest isn't over yet. The North American squad upset tournament favorites Aurora in a thrilling three-map series, pulling through 2-1 thanks to lights-out performances from Michael "⁠Grim⁠" Wince and Håkon "⁠hallzerk⁠" Fjærli. The duo delivered constant impact in a match that swung wildly across all three maps — Anubis, Train, and Nuke — with Complexity now one series away from the grand final.

PGL Bucharest 2025 – Quarterfinal – Complexity 2:1 Aurora

Complexity

Aurora

Map 1

Anubis

9

–

13

Aurora

Map 2

Train

13

–

9

Complexity

Map 3

Nuke

13

–

9

Complexity

Player stats

K - D

+/-

ADR

Rating 2.1

Grim

65 - 40

+25

96.0

1.44

hallzerk

54 - 37

+17

84.7

1.33

Cxzi

43 - 42

+1

74.2

1.09

JT

33 - 41

-8

66.2

0.93

nicx

36 - 46

-10

53.9

0.80

K - D

+/-

ADR

Rating 2.1

XANTARES

45 - 44

+1

77.0

1.05

jottAAA

47 - 45

+2

71.1

1.00

Wicadia

43 - 52

-9

73.0

0.92

woxic

36 - 42

-6

60.0

0.84

MAJ3R

35 - 48

-13

75.7

0.83

Nuke was pure domination from Complexity's star

After trading the first two maps, Complexity exploded on Nuke behind sheer firepower. Grim continued his monster form with multi-kills in key rounds, while hallzerk delivered a highlight-reel 1v3 clutch that all but secured the series. Despite a flashy ace from XANTARES, Aurora looked out of rhythm and unable to string together enough consistent pressure. Complexity, on the other hand, maintained calm control — a far cry from the scrappy underdogs we saw earlier this year.

Train streak continues

Train has quietly become Complexity’s power pick, and they rode it again to great success here. Both halves started with pistol wins that gave them breathing room, and although Aurora pushed back, a full eco loss in round 22 broke their momentum. The win marks Complexity’s eighth straight on the map, a trend that has underpinned their Bucharest run.

Aurora once again fall short

Aurora entered Bucharest as one of the event favorites, especially in a field missing some top contenders, but once again, they couldn't deliver when it mattered. Their tactics looked solid on Anubis, but the team lost steam under pressure on Train and Nuke. Özgür "⁠woxic⁠" Eker, usually a steady presence, had a quiet game — and against Grim and hallzerk in this form, that’s just not enough.