Ninjas in Pyjamas pulled ahead after a tough Sweden vs. Sweden in the group B decider match at DreamHack Summer. Their opponents from Epsilon put up a fight in the close 2-0 series.
Epsilon started off the strongest, taking 11 rounds in their Counter-Terrorist half on Cache. Unfortunately for them, Ninjas in Pyjamas played an even stronger CT side in the second half, putting 13 rounds on the board and winning 16-14.
The second map, Overpass, played out in a completely different way. The teams traded rounds in the first half, before NiP put together a string of consecutive rounds that carried into the second half. Epsilon then went to work on a comeback, coming close to tying the game at 12 rounds to NiP's 13. But the Ninjas rallied at the end, closing the map with a 16:13 score.
Though Epsilon is out of the tournament, they can look back at DreamHack Summer as a breakout performance. This is the first time they've played elite teams in a LAN setting, and going toe to toe with a squad of NiP's caliber is no small feat.
Ninjas in Pyjamas will face Astralis in the semifinals tomorrow. Every time those two teams have faced each other this year, NiP have come out on top. And with Astralis reinforcing their squad with Kjaerbye and being out for revenge, it should make for an explosive game.