paiN Gaming's difficult season continues as the Brazilian squad crashed out of yet another tournament, managing just one victory in their last six matches. Their latest defeat came at the hands of Natus Vincere on Mirage, where they spectacularly collapsed after building a commanding 10-2 lead.
Captain Rodrigo "biguzera" Bittencourt didn't mince words when discussing the loss. He admitted the team played "very poor Counter-Strike" and pointed to fundamental issues with communication and decision-making during the match. The in-game leader described feeling like nerves got the better of his squad, with calls breaking down and communication becoming problematic.
The struggles run deeper than a single match, however. Despite qualifying for the BLAST Bounty Season 2 Finals earlier this year, paiN has been unable to build momentum. When pressed about the root causes, biguzera made a startling admission about the team's current state.
"I feel as a team we don't trust each other anymore," he revealed. The IGL suggested that accumulated losses and poor communication patterns have eroded the confidence players have in one another's calls and decisions.
Regarding potential roster changes, biguzera acknowledged such thoughts cross the players' minds but emphasized he's trying to stay focused on the immediate process rather than long-term personnel decisions. He believes those conversations are better left to the coaching staff.
paiN will remain in Europe for another week to compete in qualifiers before returning to Brazil, where they'll face less challenging opposition and have time to work on rebuilding their fundamentals.
