NIP and Passion UA on the Brink of Elimination At DraculaN Season 1 After Day 1 Upsets

NIP and Passion UA on the Brink of Elimination At DraculaN Season 1 After Day 1 Upsets

Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP) and Passion UA suffered shocking defeats on the opening day of DraculaN Season 1, a Tier-2 CS2 LAN taking place at the Nexus Gamers Pub in Bucharest. The losses push both high seeds into elimination territory, forcing them into must-win matches to stay alive. 

NIP Slip Against EYEBALLERS, 0–1 Record Sets Up Battle Vs ENCE

Seeded 21st in the VRS global rankings, NIP were upset in a rough 1–2 defeat to EYEBALLERS. The match’s scores—Mirage 3–13, Ancient 13–9, Dust2 3–13—captured a tumultuous performance: a dominant first map by EYEBALLERS, a spirited but insufficient comeback, and a collapsed third map. 

NIP captain Marco “Snappi” Pfeiffer acknowledged the team’s struggles, writing on X (formerly Twitter): “Very positive notes in Cologne, but since then, we haven’t hit the same level we show in practice … Not good enough from me/us, but we will do everything in our power to turn it around. We start tomorrow.”

NIP now face ENCE in a high-pressure elimination match on August 30—a win keeps them alive; a loss ends their run in Bucharest and further jeopardizes their path to Budapest Major invites. 

Passion UA Barely Drop Overtight Matches

Debuting with a fresh roster built around ex-Complexity players, Passion UA’s initial series ended in a narrow 0–2 defeat to Monte. Although straightforward on paper, the scores were close: Nuke 11–13 and Train 13–16, highlighting how razor-thin the margins were.

Despite the elimination threat, they remained composed and were set to meet 9INE next. HLTV’s coverage notes Passion UA's resilience, while team member Johnny “JT” Theodosiou admitted: “We didn’t come in with much practice, and we hoped to at least make the final… but we just have to go back to practice.” 

Drama at the Top: Other Seeds Win on Day 1

Some upside arrived for seeded teams: fnatic and Gentle Mates both reversed 0–1 starts to win their matches, avoiding elimination early on. These results contrasted sharply with NIP and Passion UA's stumbling starts. 

DraculaN Season 1: Format, Stakes & Context

DraculaN Season 1 is a Valve Tier-2, C-Tier offline LAN, running August 29–31 in Bucharest with a modest €8,400 (~$9,800) prize pool. Eight teams compete in a bo3 double-elimination bracket, offering VRS points and valuable international LAN exposure ahead of Major invitations. 

With the VRS invite cutoff looming on October 6, this tournament represents a real opportunity for teams to salvage VRS positioning and Major eligibility if they can make late-stage runs.

Why This Matters

• NIP’s slide: Despite strong showings earlier in 2025 (like IEM Cologne), now they struggle to convert practice form into results—a worrisome trend with limited upcoming LAN opportunities.

• Passion UA’s debut setback: After bringing in Complexity core members, their 0–2 start underscores the rocky building process and risks they took this summer.

• Grassroots significance: DraculaN exemplifies how smaller events are critical for teams to earn VRS points, gain LAN reps, and correct course under pressure.

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Scene Snapshot: Paths after Day 1

Team	Seed/VRS Rank	Day 1 Match Result	Situation
Ninjas in Pyjamas	#21 (Upper Bracket seed)	Lost to EYEBALLERS 1–2	Must beat ENCE to continue; elimination otherwise
Passion UA	#28 (New lineup)	Lost to Monte 0–2	Faces 9INE in elimination; early exit if lost again
fnatic, Gentle Mates	Seeded	Came back from 0–1 to win	Safe for at least one more match