Pimp on Passion UA after win over The MongolZ: “42 days without officials — practice clearly paid off”

Pimp on Passion UA after win over The MongolZ: “42 days without officials — practice clearly paid off”

Analyst Jacob “Pimp” Winneche praised Passion UA’s preparation after the team’s hard-fought 2–1 victory over The MongolZ in their BLAST Rivals 2025 Season 2 Group A opener on November 12.
“This team hadn’t played an official for 42 days — the practice clearly paid off. A disappointing result for The MongolZ,” Pimp commented after the match, as the Mongolian squad dropped to the lower bracket. Passion UA advance to face the winner of Team Spirit vs. Falcons for a direct berth in the semi-finals.

Series overview

The best-of-three clash opened with a narrow overtime loss for Passion UA on Overpass (14–16), but they bounced back with determined wins on Inferno (13–11) and Nuke (13–11) to close out the series. Their resilience and late-round composure made the difference in key moments, particularly on Nuke where clutch plays from Håkon “hallzerk” Fjærli turned the tide.

What’s next

Passion UA will return to action on November 13, facing the winner of Spirit vs. Falcons for a spot in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, The MongolZ drop to the lower bracket, where they’ll meet Team Spirit in a must-win elimination match.

Extra context and related updates

Six weeks of preparation:
Passion UA had not played any official matches for 42 days prior to the event, focusing on refining their tactics and team chemistry. In a post-match interview, AWPer Håkon “hallzerk” Fjærli reflected on the team’s hard work:

“Six weeks of hard work and it paid off. I haven’t played on stage for a long, long time, so it feels good. And it’s going to be Vlad’s [Kvem] first stage, so he is really happy and excited.”

How they won:
The deciding map, Nuke, showcased the team’s mental resilience. Despite The MongolZ regaining control with a pistol round win in the second half, Passion UA held their ground with well-timed rotations and crucial individual plays from hallzerk and Grim.

Roster and storyline:
Passion UA feature the ex-Complexity core — Johnny “JT” Theodosiou, hallzerk, Grim, Kvem, and nicx, led by coach Tiaan “T.c” Coertzen. The lineup joined the Ukrainian organization earlier this year, aiming to re-establish themselves among top-tier international competition.

The MongolZ’s recent form:
Earlier in the season, Pimp noted that The MongolZ had struggled with consistency despite reaching several LAN finals, suggesting that their current form remains below their potential. The team’s showing in Hong Kong reflects that ongoing challenge.

Key quotes

Jacob “Pimp” Winneche:

“This team hadn’t played an official for 42 days — the practice clearly paid off.”

Håkon “hallzerk” Fjærli:

“Six weeks of hard work and it paid off… And it’s going to be Vlad’s first stage, so he is really happy and excited.”

Event recap:

Passion UA “eked out a win” over The MongolZ to secure a playoff spot and their debut stage appearance at AsiaWorld-Arena.