Veteran Counter-Strike pro Denis “seized” Kostin experiences a career resurgence as he leads his team, 9Pandas, to victory at the $100,000 LAN tournament called PARI, Please. This win marks seized’s first LAN title in seven years, breaking his long-standing drought.
9Pandas’ journey at PARI, Please is a remarkable Cinderella story in the esports industry. Despite being ranked as the second-lowest team according to HLTV’s rankings, seized and his teammates, d1Ledez, clax, iDISBALANCE, and glowiing, defeat formidable opponents such as BetBoom, MIBR, and FURIA on their path to the grand finals.
Although many CS2 fans expected Eternal Fire to end 9Pandas’ winning streak, seized’s team seizes the opportunity and swiftly defeats XANTARES’ men in a 3-0 series, claiming the trophy and a prize of $60,000.
After the conclusion of PARI, Please, seized expresses his overwhelming emotions in an interview with HLTV. He states, “It’s difficult to put into words how I feel, even though this isn’t a major tournament. But it’s incredibly gratifying because we put in incredible work. I’m speechless and extremely happy.”
Prior to this victory, seized remained out of the spotlight since his departure from Natus Vincere in 2018. He spent years playing for lesser-known teams without making a significant comeback. However, the triumph at PARI, Please propels seized and the rest of the 9Pandas players into the limelight, as they climb from 48th to 20th in HLTV’s rankings within a month.
Now, with other teams analyzing their gameplay, it remains to be seen if 9Pandas can maintain their form. However, seized already has a clear goal in mind—to qualify for his first Valve-sponsored tournament since the ELEAGUE Boston Major in 2018.
Source: DOTESPORTS
