NRG's Grim calls 12-0 choke the hardest loss of his career

In competitive gaming, leads are supposed to be comforting. A 12-0 lead is supposed to be a formality. NRG Esports turned a 12-0 advantage into one of the most painful collapses in Counter-Strike history, and Michael “Grim” Wince is still processing it.

Speaking on a podcast on July 5, Grim described the loss to BIG during the IEM Cologne Major Stage 1 in blunt terms. “That was the hardest loss of my career, for sure,” he said.

The collapse that made history

Here’s what happened on June 5 during the IEM Cologne Major. NRG took a commanding 12-0 lead over BIG on Mirage. BIG clawed back from 0-12 to win 16-12, completing what became the first 0-12 comeback in Counter-Strike Major history.

The loss eliminated NRG from Stage 1 of the Major entirely, while BIG advanced to Stage 2. The IEM Cologne Major featured 32 teams competing for a share of a $1.25M prize pool.