snow: “I’m very confident going into the playoffs”

paiN Gaming head into the PGL Masters Bucharest 2025 playoffs on a high after a flawless 3-0 Swiss run, beating Gentle Mates, GamerLegion, and B8 to lock a quarterfinal berth. “I’m feeling really good… it was very important for us to qualify with a 3-0,” João “snow” Vinicius said after the clinching win. “I’m very confident going into the playoffs.” 

The decisive series came against B8, where paiN swept Dust2 (13–8) and Mirage (13–10). Rodrigo “biguzera” Bittencourt topped the server, while snow led the way in opening kills. The victory also marked just the team’s second playoff appearance of the season.

Role acceptance and improvement areas

snow embraced his supportive role, explaining he’ll do “whatever function my team needs,” from CT anchors to aggressive T-side duties on Nuke. He acknowledged his T-side needs work and said he’ll tackle it with the coaches and teammates. “I’m here to win tournaments… maybe one day I could be a star player,” he added with a laugh. 

How paiN got here

The Brazilian side’s perfect group stage included a three-map win over GamerLegion on Day 2 before the B8 sweep sealed the deal. 

This Bucharest form follows a year of ups and downs that began with roster moves: the arrivals of David “dav1deuS” Tapia and Franco “dgt” Garcia reshaped the core around biguzera, nqz, and snow. 

What the rest of paiN are saying

biguzera on belief: “We can win any tournament we play,” the IGL said earlier this month, underscoring the team’s ceiling when they click. He has repeatedly framed success as a mindset: “We have to think the same way all the time, because that’s what Counter-Strike means.” 

biguzera on sacrifice and roles: “I play B Mirage, I hate it, but someone has to sacrifice,” he said when discussing role changes designed to make everyone comfortable — an ethos that dovetails with snow’s team-first approach. 

dgt on joining and ambition: When he signed, dgt revealed he’d had other offers but “paiN always stood out,” citing pre-existing chemistry with dav1deuS and nqz. After their Major semifinal run, he noted the potential remains high but “experience together” is key. 

biguzera on standards: Mid-season, the captain stressed professionalism and hard work to hit their desired level before top events: “This week will be full focus… we really need to have a week of intense work.” 

The bigger picture

paiN’s surge in Bucharest arrives months after the team made their first-ever Major playoffs, edging Virtus.pro in a dramatic decider and later reaching the semifinals — a high-water mark snow referenced when talking about playing under pressure. “To reach the semifinals of a Major is insane… we have to know how to play the next tournaments with this pressure,” he said.