The opening matches of Round Two in the Swiss stage of FISSURE Playground 2 gave fans an emotional rollercoaster. Every matchup carried its own drama: upsets, comebacks, confident wins from favorites, and battles that went down to the wire. Astralis, FaZe, The MongolZ, and Falcons emerged as the morning’s main protagonists, showcasing different aspects of team strength and individual brilliance.
Virtus.pro vs Astralis — 0:2
- Ancient (7:13), Train (11:13)
Two teams that began the tournament with losses clashed to keep their playoff hopes alive. Astralis looked composed and confident, especially on Ancient, where Staehr turned into a monster (44–24, ADR 103.3, rating 1.66). Train was a tougher test — VP fought hard to stay in it, but in the decisive rounds, the Danes held their nerve. The final 2:0 scoreline was well-deserved, with Astralis taking their first step toward reclaiming their favorite status.
Key highlights:
- Staehr — best player of the match, 44–24 with a 1.66 rating.
- Virtus.pro once again showed inconsistency: ICY and Perfecto were weak links, especially noticeable in key clutches.
3DMAX vs FaZe — 1:2
- Nuke (13:10), Ancient (3:13), Dust2 (6:13)
The French started with optimism, defeating FaZe on their Nuke pick thanks to sharp performances from Graviti and Lucky. But that’s where their success ended. FaZe switched gears and showed their class: Ancient turned into a rout (13:3), and on Dust2, rain and jCobb seized control of key areas, forcing their opponents to collapse.
Key highlights:
- rain (54–37, ADR 111.1, rating 1.49) — one of his best matches in recent months.
- jCobb (50–30, rating 1.47) proved his addition to the FaZe roster was the right move.
- FaZe solidified their spot in the upper Swiss bracket, while 3DMAX suffered their first serious setback after their opening-round upset.
The MongolZ vs Lynn Vision — 2:0
- Dust2 (13:11), Ancient (13:6)
The Mongolian squad once again proved why they’re among the favorites. Dust2 went the distance, with Lynn Vision managing to keep things close, but impact rounds from bLitz and Techno sealed the deal. On Ancient, The MongolZ completely dominated with a 13:6 thrashing, leaving no room for a comeback.
Key highlights:
- bLitz (39–30, ADR 96.3, rating 1.14) was the backbone of the team.
- Lynn Vision had their chances on Dust2 but collapsed mentally on Ancient, looking lost.
- For The MongolZ, this win was an important signal to their rivals: the team is playoff-ready.
Falcons vs Legacy — 1:1 (LIVE)
- Inferno (13:4), Ancient (8:13), Decider — Nuke
The Falcons vs Legacy clash became the centerpiece of the morning and is still ongoing. Falcons demolished Legacy on Inferno (13:4), with NiKo and kyousuke looking unstoppable. But Legacy fought back, stunning their opponents on Ancient (13:8). Now, the decider on Nuke will determine who makes the big step toward the playoffs.
Key highlights after two maps:
- NiKo — 51–33, ADR 99.9, rating 1.56.
- kyousuke — 48–36, rating 1.35.
- Legacy showed they can challenge even top-tier teams.
Conclusions
The first half of the day at FISSURE Playground 2 confirmed one thing: there are no easy matches in the Swiss stage.
- Astralis bounced back from their opening loss to defeat Virtus.pro.
- FaZe answered the challenge of 3DMAX and showcased their true strength with a comeback victory.
- The MongolZ comfortably dispatched Lynn Vision, proving once more their consistency.
- Falcons and Legacy gave fans a fierce Ancient showdown.
The second half of the day promises even more drama, as the Swiss bracket continues to separate those ready to fight for the title from those struggling to keep pace on the global stage.
