BIG now need a near-perfect run to reach PGL Major Singapore. After a third-place finish in Belgrade, coach Sebastian “xenn” Hoch spoke to HLTV about how the team must recover quickly and win Stake Ranked Episode 5.
BIG showed top form on the first two days in Belgrade, then lost it when the pressure grew. Now the team must prove it can play at that level for a whole event, because the road to the Major is almost closed.
A Late Push for the Final Major Invites
BIG are among a few teams fighting for one of the last invites to PGL Major Singapore. To make that push, they played 1win Private Club Season 2 and Stake Ranked Episode 5. However, their chances in Belgrade ended when The MongolZ beat them in a rematch.
As a result, BIG’s hopes now rest on the Stake Ranked event. The team has been in this spot before. In Belgrade, they had already won a Major spot at this type of event.
Two Good Days and Two Bad Days in Belgrade
The event had two very different halves for BIG. The team beat The MongolZ early in the tournament, and the first two days went well. After that, the form dropped sharply.
The match against PARIVISION was the clearest example. BIG had prepared and knew what to expect, yet they found no answers. They played a strong Cache on the first map. On the second map, however, the team barely communicated, even though it had all the information it needed. On the last map, BIG knew what the opponent would do on the CT side. Even so, they were entried again and again, and 910 played a very good game for PARIVISION.
According to xenn, the main problem is consistency against strong teams. The MongolZ are still a good team even after their changes. Meanwhile, BIG made sloppy mistakes and failed to punish their opponents’ reactions.
If you are not even playing a decent game, then you cannot beat those teams. It’s really hard.
The VRS Math and the Stake Ranked Bracket
The loss also hurt BIG’s chances in the VRS race. Xenn wanted a top-two finish in Belgrade, or even the title, to improve the team’s odds. Now, as far as he knows, BIG must win Stake Ranked Episode 5. A second-place finish would only work if other teams failed.
The task will not be easy. BIG have a strong bracket and will face magic first. After that, they could meet fnatic and Astralis. All three teams are really good, so BIG must be in shape and in form.
Mentally, the team must also reset fast, because the Belgrade result hurt.
The most important thing is we need to reset mentally here because this was damage, basically. It was a huge loss for us, because we wanted to get deeper in the tournament.
Despite the setback, the coach trusts his players. He pointed to the Major, where BIG once trailed 0-12, as proof that the team can handle pressure. In addition, he sees the next event as a battle that the whole team must fight together.
We are in this together, and it’s just like a war. We just need to fight. We need to fight the whole tournament.
Krimbo, NIP and the BIG IGL Question
Meanwhile, HLTV also asked xenn about Krimbo, who now leads NIP as an in-game leader. Xenn has known the player for a long time and sees him as a really smart player. As a result, the success did not surprise him. They had even talked about an IGL role for Krimbo in the future.
I knew that if he’s going to switch, he will succeed.
Xenn also praised the signing of adamb and NIP’s solid results. In his view, NIP failed only at the Logitech event. NIP have also qualified for the Major. Still, he does not see Krimbo joining BIG as an IGL. The team is happy with blameF, and no change is planned.
What Comes Next for BIG
For BIG, the picture is clear. They must win Stake Ranked Episode 5, or hope that other teams fail if they finish second. Therefore, the team needs to repeat the form it showed on the first two days in Belgrade and keep it through every series against magic, fnatic and Astralis. If BIG do that, they can still earn a late invite to PGL Major Singapore.
