NiP vs Cloud9 – BLAST Pro Series Lisbon 2018

BLAST Pro Series is a global and innovative series of live Counter-Strike tournaments, with the best teams in the world competing in a fast and exciting format. The series was created to maximize both the live experience, broadcast formats, and viewing experience, providing a world-class gathering and electronic sports fans in a truly engaging environment.

Blast Pro Series will be played on 14 and 15 December in a set of decisive matches and the grand finale scheduled for December 15 at Altice Arena.

After Lisbon, the international event will follow the trip to 2019: Already confirmed, three tournaments in three cities and three continents: March: São Paulo, Brazil; April: Miami, USA; May: Madrid, Spain.

The reason we have picked this match for you is that it is the battle between the two teams that have only improved in 2018, NiP against Cloud9 a team that has constantly declined throughout the year. However, in the past weeks, Cloud9 have made a couple of changes to its lineup. Let’s see if that will be enough to get them the victory against NiP.

NiP

Royalty of CS :GO

The legendary tag Ninjas in Pajamas was revived in August 2012 with the release of CS: GO. The original lineup included the real stars of the Counter-Strike 1.6 era – GeT_RiGhT, f0rest (both previously represented SK Gaming), as well as the former captain of the fnatic team – Xizt. They were supplemented by some of the best representatives of the Swedish CS: Source-scene -, and Fifflaren. Since the players believed in the success of the new offspring from Valve, they discarded previous versions of the game and were among the first to switch to CS: GO, starting their acquaintance with the game from an early beta version. NiP is the only team in history that has managed to achieve an amazing winning streak. Between August 2012 and April 2013, they did not lose a single card in official matches, bringing their streak to 87 cards and 60 matches.

At the end of 2014, the first change took place in the team – Maikelele took the place of the retired Fifflaren. However, three months later, the organization decided to kick the Swede, based on his small experience of performing at a high pro-level and took on board the Finnish legionnaire allu. At the end of 2015, the Finn left the organization, and in his place, was invited a young and promising Swede, pyth. Despite the power of the Swedes, they could not manage to win a major tournament. Currently, three of the players of the team are full of experience.

Considered by many as the Royal Family of CS: GO the Ninjas in Pajamas has shown a clear and constant evolution. After two years of hustle and bustle with no participation in Majors championships, the players have finally managed the hard way: going through extensive qualifiers where being good at the CS is not enough to withstand the competition’s marathon.

It is a fact that the secret of this line-up has been the mix of veterans f0rest, GeT_RighT, and dennis with the “novices” REZ and Lekr0. Another point to note is that the captain of the team has been Lekr0, to really bring new ideas to this base that has been so united and, to a certain extent, stagnant in the recent past.

We believe a lot in the future of this line-up. For us, they are one of the most promising teams. This year that could surely win the title in the next few months. They haven’t lifted a trophy this year, but some of the achievements of the team are as follows:

• 3rd BLAST Pro Series: Istanbul 2018
• 9-11 FACEIT Major: London 2018
• 3-4 DreamHack Masters Stockholm 2018
• 13-16 ESL One Cologne 2018
• 5-6 CS: GO Asia Championships 2018
• 5-8 StarSeries & i-League CS: GO Season 5

Cloud9

Cloud9 has nothing to show except for their title victory back in January. The team has constantly struggled, with constant changes to the lineup

More than six months after the departure of Jake ” Stewie2k ” Yip for MiBR, the Cloud9 organization a few weeks ago just finalized the move which should close its transfer window, at least until the Major Valve organized in February at the IEM of Katowice in Poland. Indeed, after having suffered several starts at the beginning of the year, the organization dismissed Pujan ” FNS ” Mehta at the end of May and recorded the end of the professional career of Tyler ” Skadoodle ” Latham. It is an American-European mix that will now represent the lineup of Cloud 9 in the Blast Pro Series.

So, to play alongside the Swedish duo Maikil ” Golden ” Selim and Robin ” Flusha ” Rönnquist and his American equivalent of Timothy “RUSH “Wierzba is the Frenchman Fabien” kioShiMa “Fiey who joins the team.

Fabien” kioShiMa “Fiey new addition of C9

Inactive since the shutdown of Team Envy’s activities on the French territory, the 24-year-old, Major’s double winner joined Cloud9 after a first international experience recorded during his time with FaZe Clan. In addition, in parallel with this experience, the player has lived in England, significantly reducing the potential barrier problem of the language. Moreover, by its versatility and experience on the international scene, it should be able to become a cornerstone of the game set up by Maikil ” Golden ” Selim.

Cloud9 has been quite unconvincing after winning the ELEAGUE Major: Boston 2018 in January. The team has failed to deliver decent results since then. They have been experimenting with their lineup all year long but none of them have worked out for the team. It is fair to say that they are the weakest lineup of the competition and against this impressive lineup of NiP who has proven critics wrong on so many occasion, Cloud9 will surely have a tough time.

Final Verdict

NiP Victory

Odds on bookmakers

Bookmakers	NiP Odds		Cloud 9 Odds
	European	American	European	American
1XBet	1.53	-188	3.52	+252.00
Betway	1.45	-222	3.35	+235.00
Loot.bet	1.40	-250	3.50	+250.00
GG.bet	1.45	-222	2.75	+175.00
Bet365	1.40	-250	2.75	+175.00