German Underdogs BIG Overcome the Odds to Become Legends
SK versus BIG was an epic battle. Against all expectations, a relatively new team managed to make an unbelievable 10-5 comeback against the best team in the world.
This game showcased the leadership skills of Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo, often considered the best leader in Counter-Strike, against Fatih “gob b” Dayik in a high-stakes match on Inferno that involved intelligent strategies, intense executions, and daring plays.
The German team’s unexpected 3-0 victory at the PGL Krakow Major surprised most people, especially because they defeated three top-five teams in the process.
BIG’s astonishing triumph over SK shocked both analysts and fans, solidifying their place as legends at the next major tournament. But how did this German powerhouse emerge?
The Almost-Didn’t-Happen Birth of BIG
It’s a wonder that BIG even came together as a team. In late 2016, the core trio of players—gob b, Johannes “tabseN” Wodarz, and Nikola “LEGIJA” Ninić—found themselves teamless after being released by NRG due to a series of poor results. They returned to Germany in hopes of revitalizing their careers.
In need of a reliable rifler who could fit into his tactical system, gob b looked back to his time with mousesports and recruited Johannes “nex” Maget. Nex wasn’t an obvious choice, as he had been struggling to replicate his peak performance from the summer of 2015.
To complete the dream team, they needed an AWPer, so they turned to Kevin “keev” Bartholomäus. Keev had made a name for himself with his aggressive style at ALTERNATE aTTaX. However, Nex and keev were still under contract. To secure their services, the player-owned organization had to pay both buyout fees, which was a challenging task for a startup.
Despite receiving an offer from Cloud9 to join one of the most prominent North American teams while he was still with NRG, gob b turned it down. He was content with NRG at the time, stating, “I was really happy at the time with NRG because I love the team so much, I still do,” during the PGL Krakow Major.
From Humble Beginnings to Promising Start
It’s remarkable that gob b didn’t join Cloud9 considering the struggles they faced with NRG.
In 2016, new investors and sports giants in North America brought in European talent to try something different. NRG signed former mousesports players gob b and LEGIJA and acquired the former Method roster. Seeking more firepower, NRG turned to tabseN, another mousesports alumni who had gained recognition as an explosive fragger for PENTA.
On paper, NRG seemed poised to make an impression in America. The German players had collectively achieved two Meisterschaft titles in 2015 and had placed second in multiple events, including CEVO Season 8 and APM Masters.
However, the European experiment failed miserably. Apart from reaching the semifinals at Counter Pit, they never made an impact on LAN events. They attended six more events that year, but failed to advance past the group stage. With a desire to build an all-American team, NRG released the German trio at the end of 2016.
A Promising Future for BIG
Once back in Germany, BIG wasted no time dwelling on their past failures. NRG’s disastrous season was behind them, and the Germans were ready to prove themselves with a brand-new team.
BIG burst onto the scene with a dominant performance in ESEA Premier and a second-place finish in the Mountain Dew League Global Finals, thanks to breakout performances by tabseN. They followed this up with an impressive finals run at Dreamhack Leipzig and a first-place finish at ESL Meisterschaft Spring 2017, gob b’s first German title since the summer of 2015.
Within five months, BIG secured a spot in the ESL Pro League. They defeated Virtus.Pro 2-0 and overcame German rivals PENTA in the relegation matches. During this time, they also found success on Inferno, winning two matches with their tactical approach and map control.
The Road to the Major
With a secure spot in the Pro League, BIG’s journey to the major began in Bucharest. Despite a rough start against Dignitas, the Germans fought back from the lower bracket and emerged victorious against Dignitas, EnVyUs, and PENTA in the final. TabseN stood out with an average damage per round (ADR) of 102.8 and a rating of 1.52 as BIG claimed pole position and a chance to compete in the stacked major qualifier.
TabseN continued to shine in the PGL Major main qualifier with a rating of 1.32 across four maps. However, it was gob b who dominated in a 16-9 victory over Immortals on Cache. BIG finished the Swiss Groups stage with a record of 3-1, only losing a map to Cloud9, the only American team to qualify for the major.
Against All Odds
On paper, BIG faced the most challenging path to the playoffs. However, they managed to sweep through with a perfect 3-0 record, defeating three top-five ranked teams: FaZe, Cloud9, and the undisputed best, SK. TabseN and nex finished the tournament as the third and seventh top-rated players, despite a loss to Immortals in the first round.
Two factors simplified BIG’s path. First, FaZe was not performing at their best. As the second-best team in the world, they were expected to be a tough opponent, especially on Inferno, which was their second-best map. However, they were unexpectedly defeated 16-8.
Secondly, there was the infamous jump-bug, a glitch that allowed players to peek into areas without risk. This bug undoubtedly provided BIG with an advantage against both FaZe and Cloud9. Nevertheless, BIG’s ability to come back from an 11-round deficit against SK Gaming speaks volumes about their talent and determination.
During that intense battle, BIG honored an agreement not to exploit the bug, and they achieved the unthinkable by defeating the two-time champions on a level playing field.
SK closed the first half on Inferno with a commanding lead of 10-5 through their effective counter-strategies against gob b’s execute-heavy tactics. However, BIG surprised SK with a second pistol win and made a series of well-timed reads and rotations. Gob b’s patient leadership allowed tabseN and LEGIJA to clean up and secure the victory with tabseN’s impressive 2K from arch and quick rotate to B, resulting in a four-kill round and a final score of 16-14.
Although BIG couldn’t defeat Immortals in the playoffs, they put up a strong fight, employing specific counter-strategies on Inferno and narrowly losing 14-16 on Train. Nevertheless, their accomplishments didn’t go unnoticed. They had defeated three top-five teams and proved their mettle against Immortals, who went on to become the major finalists. In just seven months, this unlikely underdog team had risen from obscurity to become legendary.
Update Aug. 4, 5:28pm CT: We have made a geographical correction to this article to note that the players on BIG are German, not Bavarian.
Related keywords: esports, BIG, Counter-Strike, SK Gaming, German team, underdogs, PGL Krakow Major, tournament, legendary, Gabriel FalleN Toledo, Fatih gob b Dayik