Complexity chokes vs NIP, what went wrong?
As both teams dominated their map picks, Nuke was the stage for the decider, with the two going toe-to-toe throughout the first half. On the side switch, Complexity dominated to start, taking eight of the first ten rounds to set up match point at 15-10. In familiar NA fashion, there was a failure to secure the 16th round, leading to a heartbreaking loss in double overtime.
NIP’s stars answer the call
With their backs against the wall at 10-15, NIP’s top talents came alive to bring them back from the clutches of defeat into overtime. Star duo Daniil “headtr1ck” Valitov and Kristian “k0nfig” Wienecke took over the server, with the two ending the final five rounds with 9-1 and 6-2 K/D scorelines, respectively. Complexity couldn’t keep up with the sudden injection of impact, leading to five straight losses to head into OT.
No offense in OT
After mounting incredible success on the historically tougher T-side of Nuke, the highs of which included six-straight rounds in regulation, Complexity was a completely different team in overtime. Despite losing the final five rounds of regulation, Complexity still technically won the second half 8-7, leaving some glimmers of hope to stabilize upon entering OT.
This did not come to fruition, for Complexity was forced to lean on their defense to stay in the game after winning just one offensive round. After losing momentum to close the first 30 rounds, the North Americans were unable to replicate the success that earned them match point. Although NIP’s T-side wasn’t much better, it was just enough to get the job done for them in the closing map.
Don’t fear the reaper
After looking like a star in the previous iteration of Complexity’s lineup, fans and spectators alike had hopes and expectations that Michael “Grim” Wince would catapult to another level following the acquisition of former teammate and star Jonathan “EliGE” Jablanowski. Since his strong showing in the opening series against NIP, Grim has been rather absent in impact, ending each of the last five maps negative in K/D.
One of the large assumptions with this new Complexity lineup is that the duo of EliGE and Grim would be a major source of impact to get them to the dance. At least since the debuting series, that has not been the case. In this second series against NIP, Grim’s absence was felt as he closed the series bottom in most major stats.
What’s next for Complexity?
Complexity’s loss to NIP sends them to the Knockout stage inside of the Fall Groups, pitting them against Astralis Friday morning. The winner of that series will continue onward in the Knockout bracket, while the loser will see themselves heading to the Fall Showdown.
