Frag 17 Finalist to play in Major

It won't be someone from oNe + LOS, nor will it be anyone from ATK, but it's actually Elias "⁠s1n⁠" Stein, the BIG Academy stand-out that will now be representing the main team at the BLAST Premier EU Showdown and for IEM Rio. Initially, s1n was only called up because an illness to Josef "⁠faveN⁠" Baumann in September forced the player to sit out the IEM Road to Rio Europe RMR. Now it appears that BIG are finding more comfortability with the young starlet and will continue to use him for the main team's adventures abroad.

There are hopes that s1n will show more of an improvement at the Showdown and in Rio with BIG after the 20-year-old posted a modest 0.93 rating during BIG's time in Malta at the RMR, which is a far-cry from his shattering 1.32 Rating across 13 maps at Fragadelphia 17. Johannes "⁠tabseN⁠" Wodarz was quick to praise the academy player, though, stating in an interview at the RMR with HLTV.org that "s1n is far better than we all expected."

For s1n, the move comes as a fulfillment of a dream he's had after joining the Academy. In an interview with Dust2.us during Fragadelphia, the young IGL said; "I just knew that this is the home where I want to play for the next few years. I can't think of another organization in Germany where I want to play CS."

BIG begin their BLAST Premier Fall Showdown with an RMR rematch versus Sangal on Thursday at 10:30AM. Following this event, the Germans will fly to Rio de Janeiro in time for the Major, with their opening matchup set to be versus the hometown favourites of FURIA on October 31 at 11:30AM .