Grim on the comeback they gave up in the match against BIG: “Shit happens, that’s all.”
NRG CS2 rifler Michael “Grim” Vince shared his thoughts in an interview at the IEM Cologne Major 2026 following their elimination from the event, discussing how he manages to stay motivated to compete and the atmosphere within the team during their match against BIG.
On his feelings after the loss
To be honest, I don’t even know what to say right now after a game like that. I think none of our ideas on the attack side worked, and our opponents played very well. I don’t really have anything else to add; my head is a complete mess.
On staying motivated to compete
Of course, losing is always bad, but to lose a series like that? That’s just unacceptable and even sounds absurd. Ultimately, there’s nothing we can do about it now, at least for the moment. If I had to say what keeps me motivated to stay in CS, I’d say: I just love competing. I want to continue being one of the best players in my region, and I’ll keep trying in the future, even despite how many rounds in a row we gave up today. Shit happens, that’s all.
On the team atmosphere during the match
We felt great after Nuke, and I didn’t have a single doubt about our victory, especially by the time the score reached 12-0. During the break, I joked that we only had one round left to win. As we all know, that joke went a bit too far—and yes, that’s exactly what happened.
Earlier, NRG lost to BIG in the fifth round of the first stage of the IEM Cologne Major 2026 with a score of 1-2 in a best-of-3 series, after which they exited the tournament in 25th–27th place. On the decisive map, Mirage, Grim held a 12-round lead but ultimately lost in overtime with a score of 12–16.
Photo — Stephanie Lindgren, BLAST.
