Aurora defeated Liquid 2:1 in the 2-1 Swiss pool and secured a place in the playoffs at PGL Masters Bucharest 2026. The team won Anubis 13:11, lost Inferno by the same score and closed the Cache decider 13:10.
Jimi “Jimpphat” Salo led Aurora with a 1.28 Rating 3.0 and several key clutches as the team completed the Swiss Stage with a 3-1 record.
Tournament context
Aurora entered the series one victory away from the playoffs after recovering from their opening loss to The MongolZ with consecutive wins over G2 and Nemiga.
Liquid also held a 2-1 record, meaning the winner would immediately qualify for the eight-team playoff bracket while the loser would drop into the 2-2 pool.
The victory gives Aurora their fourth consecutive playoff appearance following StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026, ESL Pro League Season 24 and Thunderpick World Championship 2026.
How the match unfolded — Liquid vs Aurora
Series score: 2:1 in favor of Aurora
- Anubis (pick Aurora) — 13:11 in favor of Aurora
The opening map remained close throughout, but Jimpphat provided several important rounds for Aurora, including a patient 1v2 clutch. He added 14 kills in the second half as Aurora edged their own pick. - Inferno (pick Liquid) — 13:11 in favor of Liquid
Aurora built a 10:4 advantage and appeared close to ending the series in two maps. Liquid responded with a strong CT-side comeback, winning nine of the final ten rounds to force Cache. - Cache — 13:10 in favor of Aurora
Liquid moved ahead 10:8 in the deciding map, but Aurora recovered late. Jimpphat produced two consecutive impact rounds, including another 1v2 situation, before helping defend B as Aurora won the final five rounds to secure the series.
Player of the Match — Jimi “Jimpphat” Salo
- K–D: 52–39
- ADR: 75.0
- KAST: 76.1%
- Rating 3.0: 1.28
Jimpphat finished with the highest Rating 3.0 in the series and a +13 kill differential.
His impact was particularly important in the close finishes on Anubis and Cache, where several clutch situations helped Aurora convert both maps.
woxic finished with 54–45 K–D and a 1.00 rating, while Wicadia also ended the series at 1.00.
NAF was the highest-rated Liquid player with 47–43 K–D and a 1.17 Rating 3.0. malbsMd followed at 1.09.
VRS results
- Aurora — +7 pt → 1,895 pt, #4 → #4
Aurora gained seven VRS points and remained fourth in the global ranking. - Liquid — -5 pt → 1,549 pt, #17 → #18
Liquid lost five points and dropped one position.
What’s next?
Aurora finish the Swiss Stage at 3-1 and advance directly to the PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 playoffs.
Liquid drop into the 2-2 pool and will have one final Bo3 opportunity to qualify. A victory sends them into the playoffs, while a defeat ends their tournament run.
