TL;DR
- NiP suffered severe 30-40% packet loss during their Flashpoint 3 match against Anonymo
- Tournament organizers confirmed server security settings caused the technical issues
- Anonymo refused rematch claiming their victory was legitimate and fair
- Flashpoint ordered full rematch despite community backlash and fairness concerns
- The situation highlights ongoing esports tournament administration challenges

The May 14 Flashpoint 3 showdown between Ninjas in Pyjamas and Polish underdogs Anonymo descended into technical chaos, with persistent lag and server problems creating an unplayable competitive environment that ultimately required tournament intervention.
This high-stakes match represented Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz’s inaugural appearance with NiP, facing a Polish squad positioned 44th in global rankings. Despite being heavily favored, the Swedish organization suffered a surprising 2-1 defeat that relegated them to the lower bracket of this Regional Major Ranking competition.
Post-match analysis revealed NiP experienced critical packet loss throughout the series, while tournament administrators failed to implement effective solutions despite multiple requests.
Issues still not solved and we are being forced to play through with massive loss due to server issues Lost us map 2 and will loose us map 3, game is unplayable.
We are connecting to other servers with no loss. This game should have been stopped on map 1. Esports in 2021.
— Hicham Chahine (@ChahineHicham)May 14, 2021
Documentation from in-game communications demonstrated NiP players consistently faced 30-40% packet loss interruptions, repeatedly asking administrators to switch game servers. Professional player Hampus “hampus” Poser detailed how deploying utility became practically impossible under these conditions, severely hampering their strategic execution.

Following the disappointing outcome, dev1ce publicly expressed his frustration with the event organizers, emphasizing that officials mishandled the technical crisis from start to finish.
We lose to anonymo, very shitty conditions and I must state my absolute fucking disappointment with faceits amateur handling of the situation.
Ggwp.
— Nicolai Reedtz (@dev1ce)May 14, 2021
NiP formally submitted a technical complaint highlighting routing abnormalities that compromised their competitive integrity. The subsequent investigation identified specific server security configurations that partially blocked traffic from NiP’s internet service provider, creating the persistent lag issues.
The evidence clearly demonstrated that NiP possessed no capability to resolve these server-side problems independently, prompting Flashpoint 3 officials to mandate a complete rematch.
“After meticulous evaluation of the technical problem’s nature, the legitimacy of the grievance, and the match’s competitive significance, the League Operations team determined to grant NiP’s replay request, notifying both competing organizations on May 15,” stated Flashpoint representatives.
Anonymo Accuse NiP of Forcing Flashpoint Rematch
Flashpoint’s rematch declaration ignited widespread controversy throughout the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive community. The Polish competitors initially rejected the replay proposal, asserting their triumph was achieved through legitimate means under the existing circumstances.
“We competed in a match that concluded fairly and now resides in history. Pursuing a replay at this stage is unequivocally inappropriate,” declared Anonymo in their official response.
The organization further clarified that Anonymo athletes had proposed a rematch option during the actual competition, but NiP declined this resolution. Additionally, the Polish team expressed willingness to transition to alternative servers, yet administrators expedited the match progression despite the unresolved technical complications.
After establishing their position, Anonymo escalated their allegations, claiming NiP applied business-level pressure on Faceit to authorize the rematch.
The announcement triggered substantial support from numerous professional competitors who criticized Flashpoint’s inadequate crisis management. Evaluating statements from both organizations reveals an intricate scenario where the teams themselves may not bear primary responsibility.
Although requiring a rematch undoubtedly disadvantages the victorious Anonymo squad, it appears to represent the sole viable resolution given NiP’s verified packet loss problems that directly influenced the match outcome.
The rescheduled match date remains undetermined. Originally planned for Sunday, May 16, the contest is currently being reorganized. Anonymo received the option to replay either the complete series or exclusively the final map.
This situation exemplifies recurring challenges in professional esports administration, where technical failures can undermine competitive integrity and force difficult decisions that inevitably disadvantage one party. Tournament organizers must balance fairness concerns with technical realities, often creating no-win situations where any decision generates controversy.
Professional esports competitions increasingly face scrutiny regarding their technical infrastructure and crisis response protocols. The NiP-Anonymo controversy highlights the need for standardized procedures addressing server failures and technical disputes.
For teams competing in high-stakes tournaments, understanding technical complaint procedures becomes essential. Documenting issues in real-time, preserving evidence, and following established escalation protocols can significantly impact how technical disputes get resolved.
Action Checklist
- Document technical issues immediately with screenshots and performance metrics
- Formally notify tournament administrators following established complaint procedures
- Propose practical solutions during matches rather than waiting for post-game resolutions
- Preserve all communications with officials and technical evidence
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