paiN secures BLAST Bounty Finals berth, eliminates NIP

paiN has become the latest team to secure their place in the BLAST Bounty 2026 S2 LAN Finals following a decisive two-map victory over Ninjas in Pyjamas, with scores of 13-6 on Nuke and 16-14 on Mirage.

This qualification marks a significant turnaround for paiN, who have faced challenges in recent tournaments and have now fallen to No. 30 in the VRS rankings after the addition of Rafael "saffee" Costa to their lineup.

The match kicked off on Nuke, where paiN showcased a strong defensive performance, closing the first half at 11-1. Ninjas in Pyjamas managed to secure only one round during this period, thanks to a pistol-round ace by Roman "n0te" Hamze. Despite a slight resurgence from NIP in the second half, paiN maintained control throughout the match to finish with a convincing 13-6 victory.

The second map, Mirage, proved to be a more competitive affair. NIP initially took the lead after winning the second-half pistol round, pushing ahead to a 10-5 advantage. However, the team struggled on the T side, which allowed paiN to mount a comeback led by saffee’s impactful AWP play, ultimately forcing the match into overtime. In the clutch moments of OT, saffee delivered a spectacular quad-kill on the B site, securing the series for paiN and cementing their spot in the BLAST Finals.

For Ninjas in Pyjamas, attention now shifts to the upcoming StarLadder StarSeries Fall qualifier, where they will face magic in hopes of securing their own path to the next tournament stage.