In esports, it's rare for the outcome of an important match to be decided by a coin toss. However, this is exactly how the encounter between Aurora and Ninjas in Pyjamas concluded in the closed qualifiers of CCT Season 2 Europe Series 18. Both teams found themselves in a situation where they couldn't finish the third map, and the decision was made by chance.

This case is a vivid example of how hectic the schedule of professional teams can be. Due to scheduling conflicts and tournament overlaps, even ordinary teams face difficult choices, which, in this case, came down to pure luck.

Update from 02/04/2025 19:05:

The originally forfeited third map between Ninjas in Pyjamas and Aurora will be played at a later time. After further discussions and agreements between the teams and tournament organizers, it was decided that the decisive map will not be left to chance. This update ensures that the winner of the match will be determined by fair play and competition rather than a randomizer.

Original news: 

How did this happen?

The match Aurora vs NiP was held as part of the closed qualifiers for CCT Season 2 Europe Series 18. The confrontation was supposed to be intense; however, it was the first game of the group, so it determined whether the team would have another chance to advance or not. They exchanged victories on their maps, bringing the series to a decisive third map.

However, an unexpected problem arose: both Aurora and NiP were delayed for their qualification matches for BLAST, another prestigious tournament. This made it impossible to continue the game, as both teams risked missing more important matches.

Coin instead of the third map

Since they couldn't agree on rescheduling the match, representatives of both teams decided to determine the winner by an online coin toss. In this peculiar lottery, luck smiled upon NiP—they received a technical victory on the third map.

This incident raises important questions about overlapping tournaments and the overloaded schedule of top teams. Perhaps organizers should pay more attention to scheduling to avoid forcing players to choose between tournaments.