magic Survives Three-Map Battle to Reach EWC Playoffs

Rafał Kończyk

Published: Aug 17, 2026

magic defeated 9z 2-1 in a match for a place in the Esports World Cup 2026 playoffs, overcoming the team ranked No. 7 in Valve’s rankings.

The series went the distance across Ancient, Dust2 and Inferno. magic won Ancient 19-17 in overtime, lost Dust2 10-13, and secured the series with a 13-10 victory on Inferno.

Andrey “AW” Anisimov was named player of the match after recording a 72-47 kill-death record across the three maps. The former PARIVISION player helped magic secure its place in the playoff stage.

magic Reaches the Playoffs

The upcoming EWC playoff will be magic’s second in the team’s history, following its fourth-place finish at PGL Astana. magic’s playoff opponent will be determined after the draw.

magic’s roster includes AW, Tenzy, Masval, Moon and sFade8, with Eksiver as coach. 9z’s roster includes Meyern, Luchov, Huasopeek, Max and Dgt, with Bit as coach.

Esports World Cup 2026 in CS2 is being held in Paris from August 12 to August 24, with a $2 million prize pool.

Source: cyber.sports.ru

Rafał Kończyk

Since: June 3, 2026

Rafał Kończyk has been following competitive gaming since the early days of StarCraft II and League of Legends, back when esports betting was barely a footnote in the broader gambling conversation. Growing up in Wrocław, Poland, he developed a sharp eye for team dynamics and meta shifts that most casual fans overlook, and that analytical instinct eventually pulled him toward the betting side of the scene. He approaches every matchup the way a statistician would, but writes about it the way a fan would, which tends to resonate with readers who are tired of surface-level picks and gut-feel predictions.

See all articles from this author