paiN cruise past Passion UA to book semi-final berth at BLAST Rivals 2025 Season 2

paiN cruise past Passion UA to book semi-final berth at BLAST Rivals 2025 Season 2

On 14 November 2025, Brazilian squad paiN delivered a commanding performance to defeat Ukrainian-North American up-and-comer Passion UA 0-2 in the quarter-finals of BLAST Rivals Season 2. They locked in a straightforward victory with scores of 13-4 on Nuke and 13-7 on Inferno. 

Domination from the outset

The first map, Nuke, saw Passion UA begin as the CT side. They managed to pick up an early Deagle eco win after losing the pistol, giving a hint of hope. However, paiN’s adaptation was swift: once their economy stabilised, they forced Favours on site-rotations and mid-round reads. The Brazilians closed the half with a dominant CT side and made quick work of the second half to finish 13-4. 

In particular, paiN’s offense struck hard with a decisive B-site retake that capped off the momentum—highlighting their superior mid-round discipline compared to Passion UA, who struggled to find rotations and were often left punished in 2 v 4 and 3 v 5 scenarios. 

On Inferno, the story was similar. Passion UA found glimpses of fight—Michael “Grim” Wince and Nick “nicx” Lee offered isolated resistance—but paiN’s coordinated offensive strategies and bomb-site splits proved too much. The map closed 13-7, cementing paiN’s dominance. 

The larger context: Breaking out of the slump

For paiN, this playoff win is significant. The organisation had been struggling to gain traction since making the semi-finals of the BLAST.tv Austin Major earlier this year. They had rarely advanced deep in tournaments or secured series wins when reaching the playoffs. The victory over Passion UA marks their first series-win in a while and gives a morale boost as they set eyes on the bigger events coming up. 

Passion UA meanwhile entered this match with momentum—a narrow win over The MongolZ earlier in the same event had given them belief. But the contrast between their earlier form and the pauN’s methodical execution underlines the developmental gap the Ukrainian/NA lineup is still working to close.

Tactical breakdown: Where paiN did it best

1. Economy & CT control on Nuke – When paiN synced their buys, they pushed mid and used coordinated utility to cut off Passion UA’s rotations. The CT half effectively ended in one push, making the second half all but academic.

2. Mid-round reads and aggression – On both maps, paiN kept pressure on mid-round decision making. Passion UA’s member hallzerk and JT were often left isolated in awkward positions because paiN baited aggression or forced unrealistic rotations. On Nuke, for example, a decisive B-site entrance during a 3 v 5 triggered the collapse.

3. Balanced fragging – Instead of leaning on one star, paiN leveraged contributions across their roster. While “dgt” got the highlight for a 4-kill at B on Nuke.On Inferno they varied their bomb-site hits, which kept Passion UA unsettled.

4. Passion UA weaknesses exposed – The younger team struggled with late-round reads, economy resets and adaptation. On Inferno, their T-side started to slip when paiN adjusted the defense. Individual production from Passion UA was limited beyond Grim and nicx.

What’s next: Semi-finals and implications

By advancing, paiN will now face the winner of the other quarter-final between FURIA and the remaining bracket opponent, after FURIA topped their group in Hong Kong and avoided paiN’s side of the bracket. The path to the grand final is still challenging—FURIA remain a formidable threat—but for paiN the main takeaway is the regained confidence and tangible playoff resurgence.

For Passion UA, this result will sting but it also offers lessons. They will need to address rotation timing, mid-round adaptability and increase consistency in their individual fragging if they hope to progress further at similar events.

Final thoughts

The 2-0 result might look routine, but for paiN this was more than just progression—it was a statement. After months of under-performance, the Brazilian squad demonstrated that when everything clicks—economy, utility use, mid-round reads—they can outclass up-and-coming squads in playoff pressure.

Passion UA, despite their potential, were reminded that explosive beginnings are not enough; adaptation under pressure and diffusion of momentum are required to close out series. As BLAST Rivals continues, paiN have re-entered the conversation as serious contenders; whether they can capitalise on this momentum remains to be seen.