Inner Circle kicked off their BLAST Open Porto campaign with a statement-making 2-0 victory against Vitality, and in-game leader Viktor 'onic' Babii couldn't contain his excitement about the result.
'It's just incredible,' onic told HLTV after the match. 'Of course everybody knows they're better than us, and it's normal, but today we were just mentally much, much stronger. I'm just proud of my guys.'
The victory is particularly impressive given Inner Circle's position in the competitive hierarchy, but the team showed they belong on the big stage. Coming into Porto with momentum from winning Super DraculaN before the player break, they've elevated their performance when it mattered most.
The match on Cache proved to be a defining moment. Down 7-12, many teams would have mentally checked out and saved energy for the next map. But Inner Circle had other plans. In a twist of fate, onic forgot they'd used all their tactical pauses and attempted to call one anyway. When it didn't register, they rushed into a fast round that caught Vitality completely off guard.
'When we did this round and we won, we all felt this energy that we really can easily come back,' onic explained. The momentum shift was real, and Inner Circle rode that wave to complete the comeback.
The upset win provides a massive boost to Inner Circle's VRS standings, earning approximately 80 points and significantly improving their Major qualification chances. But onic is keeping expectations measured, focusing instead on the experience his young squad is gaining.
Looking ahead, the IGL is confident about his team's potential. 'We just need to be more disciplined as tier one players and with this roster we can be top 10 easy,' he stated, emphasizing that the team hasn't even reached full synergy yet despite their recent success.
