The second and final day of the Kyiv Animajor Wild Card stage has concluded with Vici Gaming and Team Nigma taking the two spots for the group stage. While Vici Gaming had a perfect day, Team Nigma faced several obstacles to earn their spot.
A server crash causes controversy
Team Secret vs. Nigma was one of the most anticipated matches of the Wild Card stage. Nigma could secure their spot in the group stage with a 2-0 series win. If they drew, their fate would be out of their hands. The next match between Team Secret and Invictus Gaming would then determine whether they would make it through, or if they had to play another tiebreaker against Invictus Gaming to secure their spot.
Nigma took the first game convincingly with a fantastic Razor performance by Amer “Miracle-” Al-Barkawi. The second game began as Nigma picked a slower lineup consisting of Spectre and Io. While analysts thought Nigma would fall behind early through the weakness of their lanes, they were somehow able to maneuver themselves into an advantageous position. A few minutes after Nigma won a fight near the mid lane tower, a server crash caused both teams to be disconnected from the game. Both teams were informed there would be no hope of restarting the game as there was no record of the game on the server.
After unforeseen circumstances and the game remake we end with a 1-1 draw between @teamsecret and @TeamNigma!
The decision to remake was made by Valve and we had minimal say as did the teams.#WePlayAniMajor #AniMajor https://t.co/JTUc3BVtZV
— WePlay Studios (@WePlay_Studios) June 3, 2021
After long deliberation, a decision was made by Valve to restart the game with the same drafts, starting items and lane setups. This gave Team Secret a second chance to start the game fresh and execute their strategy with the events of the last game in mind. The clear advantage given to Team Secret by the remake angered many fans. Team Secret offered a remake of the game with new drafts, but Valve’s decision overruled any offers the team could make. Team Secret went on to win the game, meaning Team Nigma’s fate was dependent on the next match between Team Secret and Invictus Gaming.
For the record, we offered a complete remake with new drafts but ultimately the decision was taken by Valve and we have no say in it.
F
— Team Secret (@teamsecret) June 3, 2021
Wild Card stage: The Tiebreaker
Secret drew 1-1 with Invictus gaming causing Team Nigma to fight through a tiebreaker. A best of one against Invictus Gaming would determine who would move on. Despite the unfortunate circumstances that plagued Team Nigma earlier, they were able to win a back-and-forth game against Invictus Gaming to secure a place in the Kyiv Animajor group stage. A flawless Kill/Death/Assist performance by Igor “iLTW” Filatov, going 8/0/9 , helped carry them through the game.
Vici Gaming still dominant through Wild Card Stage
Despite all the drama that occurred between the second tiebreaker spot, Vici gaming sat comfortably in first place. Despite drawing all their games on Day 1, Vici Gaming came out swinging and secured two wins against AS Monaco Gambit and Invictus Gaming. This gave them a perfect record throughout the second day.
The second day of the Wild Card Stage ends with Vici Gaming and Team Nigma making it into Friday’s group stage. The group stage of the Kyiv Animajor starts Friday at 4 a.m. PT on the WePlay Twitch Channel.
