• Tournament: IEM Chengdu 2024 (LAN)
• Overall Result: A semi-final berth against FaZe, securing a 3rd-4th place finish and $20,000 in prize money
• Matches: A 13-2 victory against Steel Helmet and 2-0 wins against FaZe, and Virtus.pro in the Group Stage, followed by a 2-1 loss to FaZe in the semi-finals

FaZe defeated our Main team in the IEM Chengdu semi-final with a 2-1 scoreline (Nuke 13-10, Ancient 5-13, Inferno 13-7). The intense match was a rematch of the group-stage showdown, where our newly redefined roster decisively crushed all opposition over a two-map series.

• Alexander "br0" Bro was our standout player against FaZe, posting a 1.04 rating, a 76.9 ADR, and a 41-45 K/D ratio. 
• The young rifler secured a crucial and impressive 1vs4 clutch on Ancient.

M2: br0 - swift omnipresent 1vs4 clutch (T - post-plant situation)

Reaching the semi-finals and meeting a team you previously defeated only to lose is disappointing, says our sports director, Kasper Straube, reflecting on the otherwise successful stint in China.

"We both hoped and believed that we could reach the final, but we must also acknowledge FaZe for their consistent performance and their ability to reach finals repeatedly—and, this time, to lift the trophy. The match on Nuke was a close affair, and it wouldn't have taken much for us to take it and subsequently close the game on Ancient. But that's CS: sometimes minor details decide the matches."

"Facing what might be the world's best Nuke team, we pushed them hard and managed to respond strongly on Ancient. That FaZe then comfortably won on Inferno highlights that we are still a young team early in our development process compared to them," Straube adds.

Straube: Significant Progress in Our Gameplay Patterns and Philosophy

The semi-final featured another clash between two legendary Danish players, now both serving as in-game leaders: Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz, our newly crowned team captain, and Finn "karrigan" Andersen. Our star AWPer debuted remarkably as IGL, leading his troops undefeated through the group stage without losing a single map and holding all opponents to 7 rounds or fewer.

We asked the sports director for his thoughts on the team's performance in Chengdu and what he would like to highlight from the LAN tournament. This event marked the team's best overall result since their successful run at IEM Cologne 2023, concluding with a semi-final appearance.

"I am incredibly pleased with the team's performance in Chengdu. We had ideal preparation, with plenty of training and planning for the LAN event."

"Compared to some of the other teams that participated, we brought a lot of energy and an extreme hunger, which was evident in our gameplay and general behavior. Seeing the team tested against some of the best players in the world was exciting. As a unit and newly readjusted roster, we were confirmed that our fundamental work from the beginning is high quality and something we must build upon from here," says Straube.

M2: jabbi - 1vs3 clutch (CT - pre-plant situation) while having 17 HP in the final 2 duels

"First and foremost, we have come a long way with our gameplay patterns and philosophy. It was evident to me that we had some excellent procedures in-game in Chengdu and that we're now in the process of building the gameplay identity we desire."

"One cannot definitively answer why it went so well, but I've seen a really unified team that has worked seriously towards a common goal, and when you do that, you often succeed. We have been cautious in tackling the journey to China and had a clear plan for handling jetlag and other challenges that can arise when traveling so far," the sports director adds.