KRIMZ and fnatic run over Renegades
Renegades journey in Kiev is over, as Noah "Nifty" Francis and friends found themselves on the wrong side of a Freddy "KRIMZ" Johansson-shaped wrecking ball.
Mirage started off promising for the majority Australian side, as they took the pistol and the two following rounds on the Terrorist side. That is when KRIMZ came to life, powering fnatic to ten straight round wins on the defensive side. Renegades were able to secure the last two rounds of the half, but still found themselves down 10-5.
The map looked like it would be wrapped up quickly when fnatic claimed the pistol and the ensuing three rounds, pushing the scoreline to 14-5 in favor of the Swedes. Undaunted, Renegades rattled off a seven round CT streak of their own, nearly equalizing the score at 14-12. Ultimately, fnatic were able to regain control and take Mirage over the line, with a score of 16-13.
Cobblestone likewise began favorably for Renegades, as the Aussies leapt out to a 5-0 lead on the defensive side to start the map. Unfortunately, this would represent over half the rounds they would claim over the course of the entire map.
With KRIMZ and Robin "flusha" Rönnquist doing much of the heavy lifting, fnatic were able to regain their footing in the first half and finished with a 9-6 lead. From there the Swedes were able to matter-of-factly close out the map and series, only allowing Renegades two further rounds.
With the victory, fnatic are through to the playoffs. Renegades, meanwhile, will return to North America to finish out the regular season of ESL Pro League before jetting off to IEM Sydney — a homecoming that three out of five of the players will no doubt be looking forward to.