The Brazilian esports team paiN Gaming (PNG) kicked off their Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) journey on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, with a match against MOUZ in the BLAST Rivals 2025 tournament. The team was bolstered by the addition of Franco “dgt” Garcia, a highly acclaimed Uruguayan player, who made his debut with the squad.
The match was a best-of-three series, with MOUZ taking an early lead by winning the first map, Nuke, 13-9. However, PNG fought back, securing a 13-11 victory on Inferno to level the series. The deciding map, Dust2, proved to be a challenging one for PNG, as they were thrashed 13-0 by MOUZ, ultimately losing the match and dropping to the lower bracket.
tough last map but let's go, we improved and dgt had a convincing debut! We're back tomorrow vs. the loser of Vitality and Wildcard, fighting for our spot in the #BLASTPremier 👊
we always count on your support, #GOpaiN pic.twitter.com/zXUUBLGW5t
— paiN Gaming (@paiNGamingBR) April 30, 2025
Challenges Ahead
The team’s new player, dgt, revealed that PNG had only one day of practice before facing MOUZ. Their next challenge is expected to be just as tough, as they’ll face the loser of the Wildcard vs Vitality match on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at 06:00 BrasÃlia time.
The upcoming match will be crucial for paiN Gaming, as it will determine their continued participation in the BLAST Premier tournament. With their new recruit on board, the team is likely to regroup and come back stronger.