KSCERATO Powers FURIA Into EWC 2026 Playoffs
FURIA secured a spot in the Esports World Cup 2026 CS2 playoffs after downing 9z 2-1 in the Group D upper-bracket semifinal, taking Dust2 13-6 and Nuke 13-6 either side of a 16-13 overtime loss on Mirage, extending their own perfect start at the event to 2-0 while snapping 9z’s five-match winning streak.
Nuke Decider Seals FURIA’s Perfect Start
9z opened on their own pick, Dust2, but FURIA built a 7-5 halftime lead and locked the map 13-6 after conceding just one round on the second half. FURIA’s Mirage pick went the other way: tied 5-5 early, 9z edged ahead 7-5 at the break before FURIA forced overtime at 12-12, only for 9z to win four of five extra rounds and take the map 16-13.
That sent the series to Nuke, where FURIA reasserted control with another 7-5 halftime lead before a dominant closing half limited 9z to a single round, sealing the map 13-6 and the series 2-1.
KSCERATO’s 1.47 Rating Carries the Series
Kaike ‘KSCERATO’ Cerato was the standout across all three maps, finishing 65-41 with a 93.7 ADR, 82.1% KAST and a 1.47 rating. Yuri ‘yuurih’ Santos (1.08) and Danil ‘molodoy’ Golubenko (1.07) backed him up, while Mareks ‘YEKINDAR’ Gaļinskis stayed above a 1.00 rating too.
Matias ‘HUASOPEEK’ Ibáñez Hernandez was the lone bright spot for 9z, putting up 53 kills, an 88.0 ADR and a 1.30 rating in the loss – none of his teammates cracked a 1.00 rating.
Group D’s Final Playoff Spot Still Open
FURIA move directly into the EWC 2026 playoffs on the back of consecutive wins over Wildcard and 9z, arriving with momentum and a projected Valve Regional Standings jump from No. 8 to No. 5 after gaining 70 points. 9z, despite the loss, remain alive and drop into the Group D decider against magic, with the winner claiming the group’s last remaining playoff berth.
The defeat also cost 9z 15 VRS points, projecting a slide from No. 3 to No. 4, though they retain a path back into the bracket. This result extends FURIA’s head-to-head record over 9z to 7-4, a series that includes their 2-1 win over the same opponent at the IEM Cologne Major 2026, where FURIA also closed out the series in three maps.
- FURIA: advance directly to the EWC 2026 playoffs with a 2-0 group record
- 9z: drop to the Group D decider against magic for the group’s final playoff spot
- Head-to-head: FURIA now lead 9z 7-4 overall, including the Cologne Major result
FURIA’s social channels celebrated the qualification shortly after the win, highlighting the 13-6 scorelines on Dust2 and Nuke, while 9z acknowledged the 1-2 defeat and turned attention to their must-win match against magic. That result follows a broader pattern across Group D’s bracket, one covered in recent EWC CS2 playoff-qualification news as other groups sort their own remaining seeds.
Source: community.skin.club
