SK Gaming came into DreamHack Winter as perhaps the favourites to win, having won IEM IV Chengdu and placed 3rd at IEM IV Dubai, at least until fnatic joined at the last minute. However, they found themselves on the losing end of a close three map series in the first round against an mTw side who were only facing the Swedes due to their own upset loss on train. Ironically the Danes would take the victory on train the third map and move on to potentially face fnatic, while SK head home.

SK Gaming 11:16 mTw (inferno 6:9 5:7)

First half

mTw.dk were sitting with an early lead as CT, three kills from zonic putting it at 3:1. They added three more in a row to push it to 6:1. On the 6th time ran out on SK with only kHRYSTAL alive and a rush which had been delayed too much. On the 7th a double nade kill from trace and two kills from ave saw mTw.dk 4v1 and the round was sealed in their favour.

SK took the 8th thanks to a 3v5 situation being turned into a 3v3 by two allen kills. When the team managed to win the round in A allen picked up a third. mTw.dk took the next to make it 7:2 to the Danish side. SK finally strung together a run as they took three in a row, including one enemy eco and one round where three mTw players saved their guns.

With some faking A SK got into B in a 2v3 situation with mTw's trace killed both players to take the round for the Danes. They took the next too as ave and minet took two kills each to make it 9:5 mTw.dk. The last round went SK's way as walle found himself 1v2 with 9hp but managed to plant and kill both.


Second half

SK looked to close the gap as they won the pistol round thanks to three from face. mTw.dk were not about to give up their lead though and on a deagle eco an opening headshot from zonic and later two kills from trace had the Danes turning the round in their favour. They took the next two as well with the 4th seeing a 4v3 for SK rapidly turn into a 3v3 and then a 1v3 thanks to trace's three kills, 3:1 for mTw.dk.

allen won a 2v1 in B to steal back a round but mTw.dk kept rolling and took the next three. The 6th had walle wining a 2v1 but too late to defuse the bomb. The 8th round mTw got 5v3 with the bomb planted and so the three SK players decided to save, putting the map at map-point for the Danes. Despite SK winning three in a row the final blow came from mTW in the 12th round and the first map went to them.


SK Gaming 16:11 mTw (dust2 8:7 8:4)

First half

SK came out of the gate as CT with four quick as four USP kills from face took the pistol round and back-to-back kHRYSTAL rounds won the 3rd and 4th as he won two 1v2s. Deagle kills from trace and zonic got mTw.dk into a 2v2 situation with the bomb planted, when it got to 1v2 for walle he was able to kill both but the bomb exploded before he could defuse. With the score at 4:2 for SK an allen 1v1 win put it to 5:2 but then came the mTw.dk onslaught. The Danes peeled off five rounds to go up 7:5. The 11th round had trace 1v3 with an AWP, kill two (including the defuser) and then the SK player blow up with the bomb due to not having enough defusal time.

SK took the last three of the half to take a lead into the second. The 15th round of the half saw a 1v1 between face and anizz that the Swede came out on top in.


Second half

mTw.dk took the pistol thanks to a double nade kill from anizz and two kills from ave as SK tried to attack the catwalk. On the 3rd SK were able to take back the momentum and they ran with it to push the half score up to 6:2 in their favour. The 5th round had trace bring the situation to a 2v2 but then walle won it with some solid kills. mTw.dk made a stab at a comeback taking the 9th round with famases after trace killed three at long A and the 10th round from a 2v3 situation which saw minet kill all three. SK had the necessary push left in them though and they took the last two which saw the Danes disorganized in rotations to A.


SK Gaming 13:16 mTw (train 6:9 7:7)

First half

Starting as CT mTw.dk took the first five. The pistol was a 2v3 for the Danes until quick kills from ave and zonic made it 2v1 and that lead to a Danish win. Three kills from zonic's colt at inside secured the 5th round. SK put up their first round win in the 6th thanks to two kills a piece from allen and face but the Danes would keep their momentum going and took the next two. SK again tried to get something going with a win in the 9th but mTw.dk responded with another two round wins to make it 9:2. At this point SK were in trouble but solid play from RobbaN would help them out of it as his two kills in a 2v2 in the 12th and three kill round in the 14th saw SK take all the remaining rounds to end the half 9:6 to mTw.dk.


Second half

SK got the start they needed winning the pistol and then mTw.dk's buy on the 3rd thanks to face and RobbaN killing four between them. Down 0:4 in the half mTw.dk responded with a nice outer attack which saw zonic killing four to get them a win in the half and put the score at 10:10 overall. mTw.dk took the next after getting the bomb down 3v4, a situation which progressed to a 3v3 and then a 1v3 with minet killing two of the SK players but dying to allen who exploded due to too little defusal time.

SK took back the lead with two rounds in a row to make it 12:11 to them but then mTw.dk put together a devastating run where zonic made 9th round 2v1 for his team and then killed the last and then his team ran up the others due to failed 1v2s from allen and face. At 6:6 in the half and 15:12 overall mTw.dk sat at map point. SK were able to resist them for one more round thanks to two kills each from RobbaN and kHRYSTAL when the Danes faked inside and went outside but on the 14th round of the half kHRYSTAL would up in a 1v3 he couldn't win and the upset victory went to the Danes.

After mTw.dk's loss to Coldfrag and difficulty as terrorists on train this game really showed a progression in teamplay from the group stage as this mTw.dk team looked a lot more solid and able to carve out rounds when they needed them most. There was also some solid work as terrorist from ave in getting the right flashes into the right areas and leading his guys out without fear of dying himself.

Watch SK's CT pistol round on train:



See mTw.dk's winning moment in the third map:



Check out the galleries for day 3 and the playoffs of DreamHack Winter.

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