Day 3 of the PGL Astana 2025 tournament has delivered a full slate of high-stakes matchups, including upsets, dominant wins, and tense three-map thrillers. With playoff qualification and tournament survival on the line, every match carried significant weight in the Swiss stage.

ODDIK upsets paiN Gaming to reach 2-1

Result: ODDIK 2-0 paiN Gaming
Maps: Anubis (13-10), Nuke (13-11)
Record: ODDIK (2-1), paiN Gaming (1-2)

Brazilian underdogs ODDIK delivered a statement victory over regional rivals paiN Gaming, reversing a year-long losing streak and pushing themselves to the brink of playoff qualification.

Italo “ksloks” Meinberg was central to the win, recording 44 kills and a 1.48 rating, including a pivotal ace with an MP9 in a 2v5 situation on Anubis. Fillipe “pancc” Martins added 37 kills with a 1.17 rating, providing essential support throughout both maps.

Despite the return of Franco “dgt” Garcia, paiN struggled to find rhythm. While dgt posted a solid 1.14 rating, the team faltered tactically, with Lucas “nqz” Soares notably underperforming.

HOTU eliminates GamerLegion with convincing 2-0 win

Result: HOTU 2-0 GamerLegion
Maps: Ancient (13-9), Mirage (13-6)
Record: HOTU (1-2), GamerLegion (0-3, eliminated)

Kazakhstan’s own HOTU rose to the occasion in a critical elimination match, dispatching GamerLegion with confidence and sending them out of the tournament.

Suleımen “dukefissura” Orazaly led the charge with 38 kills and a 1.42 rating, while Dmitry “mizu” Kondratev added 33 kills and a 1.36 rating. HOTU displayed a balanced mix of economic discipline and aggressive play, punishing GamerLegion’s scattered defense.

GamerLegion showed signs of life through Sebastian “Tauson” Lindelof (33 kills), but lacked consistent impact across the board, with Henrich “sl3nd” Hevesi finishing with a 0.54 rating.

Aurora defeats NiP in hard-fought series

Result: Aurora 2-1 Ninjas in Pyjamas
Maps: Anubis (13-10), Train (9-13), Inferno (13-8)
Record: Aurora (2-1), NiP (1-2)

Aurora Gaming secured their second win of the stage, defeating Ninjas in Pyjamas in a three-map series characterized by momentum swings and individual brilliance.

Ismailcan “XANTARES” Dörtkardeş and Ali “Wicadia” Haydar Yalçın combined for 115 kills, with Wicadia’s clutch 3K in a 2v4 on Anubis proving decisive.

NiP responded with a strong showing on Train, driven by Rasmus “sjuush” Beck and Artem “r1nkle” Moroz, but were unable to contain Aurora’s CT-side on Inferno, where the Turkish-majority squad surged ahead to close the series.

FURIA overcomes MIBR in Brazilian derby

Result: FURIA 2-1 MIBR
Maps: Train (13-4), Anubis (11-13), Inferno (13-8)
Record: FURIA (2-1), MIBR (1-2)

FURIA Esports edged out MIBR in an all-Brazilian clash that required three maps to settle. The match opened with a dominant Train performance from FURIA, where Yuri “yuurih” Santos led the way with a 20-9 scoreline in a 13-4 rout.

MIBR rallied on Anubis, narrowly closing out the map despite squandering a strong first-half lead. The deciding map, Inferno, was competitive until halftime, but FURIA asserted control after the switch, closing the map 13-8 and the series.

The result places FURIA within one win of playoff qualification, while MIBR now faces elimination in their next match.

Virtus.pro sweeps BIG to move to 2-1

Result: Virtus.pro 2-0 BIG
Maps: Dust2 (13-9), Ancient (13-3)
Record: Virtus.pro (2-1), BIG (1-2)

Virtus.pro delivered a clinical performance in the day’s opening match, brushing aside BIG with little resistance. After a closely contested first half on Dust2, Virtus.pro’s lockdown CT-side sealed the map.

Their dominance continued on Ancient, where a 9-3 CT half laid the groundwork for a swift 13-3 finish. The Russian squad’s structure and defensive setups left little room for BIG to maneuver, and their consistency now places them a single win away from securing a playoff berth.

Outlook for Day 4

The fourth day of action at PGL Astana 2025 will feature high-stakes qualification and elimination matches. Teams in the 2-1 bracket will play for a place in the playoffs, while those sitting at 1-2 face do-or-die scenarios. With the field narrowing and pressure mounting, only the most composed and prepared will move forward.