9z complete fairytale group stage run to secure playoff spot at PGL Astana

South American organization 9z Team finalized an unexpected flawless run through the PGL Astana 2026 Swiss stage yesterday. A 2-1 victory over MOUZ in the high bracket matches pushed 9z to a 3-0 record, guaranteeing their appearance in the playoffs at the Barys Arena.

The series against MOUZ began with a 13-10 win for 9z on Nuke. MOUZ responded with a commanding 13-4 performance on Inferno to force a deciding map. On Ancient, 9z recovered their form to close out the series 13-9. Luciano “luchov” Herrera led the server with 49 eliminations to seal the upset.

9z is ready for the playoffs after wins against PARIVISION, Falcons, and MOUZ. A huge feat for the South Americans.

donk dominance

Team Spirit joins 9z in the playoffs after defeating FURIA 2-1. FURIA took the opening map Overpass 16-12 in overtime, but Team Spirit answered with a 13-8 win on Dust2 and a tight 13-11 victory on Mirage. Danil “donk” Kryshkovets posted 71 kills across the series to push the Russian squad through to the arena stage. The Russian is on fire in Astana with an impressive 1.63 rating after seven maps.

In the mid bracket, Gentle Mates, Aurora Gaming, Team Falcons, and The MongolZ secured clean series victories over HEROIC, PARIVISION, Monte, and G2 Esports. These winning rosters advance to the 2-1 pool and are now one series win away from qualification.

The tournament also recorded its first eliminations in the 0-2 pool. The Huns Esports defeated Fisher College 2-0, and magic eliminated K27 with an identical series score.

Round 3 match results

Today’s fixtures