magic will compete at StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026 without Andrey “AW” Anisimov due to visa issues. Head coach Danila “eksiver” Yurkov will replace him in the starting lineup for the tournament in Barcelona.
AW WILL MISS THE EVENT
magic confirmed that AW was unable to resolve his visa situation in time for StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026. According to HLTV, eksiver is expected to stand in for the team for the duration of the event rather than only for the opening match.
The lineup for the tournament will be:
- Svyatoslav “MaSvAl” Masko
- Vitaliy “sFade8” Marushka
- Abdurakhim “mo0N” Issa
- Nikita “tenzy” Kochenyuk
- Danila “eksiver” Yurkov — stand-in
The absence is particularly important considering the role AW played in getting magic to Barcelona. In the deciding European Closed Qualifier series against Ninjas in Pyjamas, he finished with a 1.68 Rating 3.0 across Ancient and Anubis as magic won 2:0 and secured their place at the LAN.
EKSIVER RETURNS TO THE SERVER
eksiver normally works as the head coach of magic and has very limited recent experience as a player.
According to HLTV, he has played only six recorded maps during his career, with his most recent official map dating back to March 2025. He will now have to step into the lineup against one of the strongest fields at the tournament.
magic recently competed at FISSURE Playground 3, where they defeated FaZe and PARIVISION before being eliminated by Alliance. The team will now have to adapt to a forced lineup change just days before their next LAN.
MAGIC WILL OPEN AGAINST VITALITY
magic will face Vitality in their opening match at StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026 on September 17 at 14:30 CET.
The tournament will take place in Barcelona from September 17 to 20 and feature eight teams competing for a $500,000 prize pool. The event uses a Double Elimination bracket, with matches played as Bo3 and the Grand Final as a Bo5.
magic qualified for the event through the European Closed Qualifier, where they completed an unbeaten run and defeated Ninjas in Pyjamas in the deciding match.
