Alliance and G2 booked their places in the FISSURE Playground 3 quarterfinals on 10th of September 2026. However, their opponents paid the price for it. magic and 5star both lost their lower bracket finals in straight maps, ending their run at the tournament.
Both eliminations followed a similar script: two clean 2-0 sweeps, on the same day, within just over an hour of each other. As a result, the stakes now shift to the quarterfinals, where Alliance will face MIBR and G2 will take on FURIA.
Two Lower Bracket Finals, One Day
FISSURE Playground 3 featured two lower bracket deciders on 10th of September 2026. The Group B final pitted Alliance against magic at 14:10, therefore only one of the two could continue. Meanwhile, in Group A, G2 faced 5star at 15:30 with identical stakes on the line. As a result, the winner of each best-of-three series advanced to the quarterfinals, while the loser was eliminated from the tournament.
Alliance vs magic
The Alliance vs magic series opened on Ancient, magic’s pick. Alliance won the first half 8-4, however magic hit back to take the second half by the same score, levelling the map at 12-12. The extra rounds then swung Alliance’s way 4-1, closing out a 16-13 win in overtime.
Alliance’s own pick, Inferno, followed. Alliance controlled the game from the start, winning the first half 8-4 and the second 5-3 for a comfortable 13-7 finish. This sealed a 2-0 series win and sent magic out of the tournament. Dust2 was left over and never played.
Svyatoslav ‘MaSvAl’ Masko posted the highest rating of the Alliance vs magic series at 1.35, despite his team’s defeat. He finished with a 39-31 kill-death record and an 83.9 ADR. On the winning side, Simon ‘twist’ Eliasson led Alliance with a 1.24 rating and a +2.54% rating swing.
BOB WITH THE ACE IN OVERTIME 😱 pic.twitter.com/fcpTN6Kcbb
— Alliance (@theAllianceGG) September 10, 2026
5star vs G2
The Group A final began on Inferno, 5star’s pick. G2 edged the first half 7-5, then pulled away in the second to win it 6-4, taking the map 13-9.
G2’s pick, Ancient, closed out the series. G2 dominated the opening half 9-3, and although 5star fought back slightly to win the second half 4-1, it was not enough. G2 finished the map 13-4 for a 2-0 sweep. Anubis was left over and never played.
In the G2 vs 5star series, Matúš ‘MATYS’ Šimko was the clear standout. He recorded a 1.63 rating, the highest of either match, alongside a 106.3 ADR and a 38-21 kill-death record. For 5star, Gerelt-Od ‘clouden’ Jargal was the top performer with a 1.27 rating, though it was not enough to prevent elimination.
Valve Regional Standings Shift
The results also moved both teams in the Valve Regional Standings. Alliance entered the match with 1490 points at 16th place. The win added 41 points, therefore Alliance now sits on 1531 points, up two spots to 14th. magic, meanwhile, held 1491 points and 15th place beforehand. The loss cost them 14 points, dropping them to 1477 points and down three spots to 18th.
In the other series, G2 started with 1753 points at 8th place. The win added only 2 points, so G2 now has 1755 points, remaining at 8th. 5star began the day with 1034 points at 74th place. The loss cost them 2 points, leaving them on 1032 points, and their ranking stays at 74th.
What Comes Next
With both lower bracket finals complete, the FISSURE Playground 3 quarterfinal lineup is set. Alliance will face MIBR, while G2 will meet FURIA, and both matchups should provide a tough test for the winners.
For magic and 5star, the tournament ends in a shared 7th-8th place finish. As a result, each team earns $15,000 in prize money, plus an additional $27,000 club share. Finally, although their run at FISSURE Playground 3 is over, both organizations can now turn their focus to upcoming events on the calendar.
