W0nderful, a significant debutant, was key to Spirit's victory

Spirit, one of the Legends, successfully competed against Bad News Eagles in their opening encounter at the IEM Rio Major. The Russian team defeated the Terrorist side 16-8 in spite of a weak defensive half. The match's star performer was major debutant w0nderful, who led the way with 24 kills and prevented the Kosovar side from regaining momentum in the second half with a 1v3 clutch.

After the game, w0nderful talked to HLTV.org about how Spirit defeated the typically CT-dominant Bad News Eagles team, claiming that it all came down to preparation. He continued by discussing his Major debut and whether or not he was nervous about his first public performance. I don't feel anxious, he declared. "I'm simply feeling warm feelings, whether it's a Major or any smaller competition."