Lower round 1 marked the first point at IEM Beijing 2026 where losing a series meant the end of a team’s tournament run. After losing their opening matches, both teams had no room for error, meaning every map directly determined who would continue competing in Beijing.
Tournament context
IEM Beijing 2026 features a double-elimination Bo3 group stage. In Lower round 1, the winner advances to the Lower semi-finals and remains in contention for the playoffs, while the losing team is immediately eliminated from the tournament.
In the match between Falcons and FaZe, the teams traded victories on the first two maps. Falcons dominated their opponents on Ancient, FaZe responded on Anubis, but on the deciding Mirage, m0NESY and kyousuke’s team regained control and closed out the series.
How the match unfolded — FaZe vs Falcons
Series score: 2:1 in favor of Falcons
- Ancient (pick FaZe) — 13:3 in favor of Falcons
FaZe failed to capitalize on their own map pick. Falcons immediately built a substantial round advantage, completely controlled the pace of Ancient, and allowed their opponents to secure just three rounds. - Anubis (pick Falcons) — 13:10 in favor of FaZe
The situation changed on Falcons’ map pick. FaZe managed to perform better during the key stages of the map, maintained their advantage in the closing rounds, and took the match to the deciding Mirage. - Mirage (decider) — 13:7 in favor of Falcons
On the third map, Falcons regained control of the series. The team established a comfortable lead, prevented FaZe from repeating their performance on Anubis, and confidently closed out the match with a 2:1 victory.
Player of the Match — Maksim “kyousuke” Lukin (Falcons)
- K–D: 58–37
- ADR: 100.6
- Rating 3.0: 1.58
Key contribution: kyousuke was Falcons’ main individual standout in the match. He finished the series with a +21 kill differential, recorded an ADR above 100, and was the team’s most consistent player across all three maps.
VRS results
- Falcons — +21 pt → 1761 pt
The victory earned Falcons 21 ranking points. The team retained seventh place in VRS while also keeping their tournament run alive through the lower bracket of Group A. - FaZe — -7 pt → 1526 pt
The defeat cost FaZe seven ranking points. The team remained in 21st place in VRS, but the main consequence was losing their chance to continue competing at IEM Beijing 2026.
What’s next?
Falcons advance to the Lower semi-finals of Group A. The team remain in the lower bracket, meaning their next series will once again be an elimination match, but the victory over FaZe has kept their playoff hopes alive.
FaZe are eliminated from IEM Beijing 2026 and become one of the first teams to leave the tournament. After two defeats in the group stage, the roster lost its final chance to continue competing in Beijing.
Match summary
Falcons opened the series with a dominant 13:3 victory on Ancient, but FaZe responded on Anubis and forced their opponents to play a third map. On Mirage, Falcons once again looked significantly more consistent and prevented the series from reaching a tense finish.
kyousuke was the best player of the match with a 1.58 rating and 100.6 ADR. Ultimately, Falcons secured a 2:1 victory, earned +21 VRS points, and advanced to the Lower semi-finals, while FaZe became one of the first teams eliminated from IEM Beijing 2026.
