BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 2 moves to Stage 2, where Ninjas in Pyjamas will face paiN in a match for a spot at the LAN Finals. The teams will play a Bo3 series in a Single Elimination format, where the winner will become a participant in the final stage of the tournament, while the losing team will end its run at BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 2. Both rosters are close to each other in the world ranking, so the series promises to be one of the most interesting at this stage.
BLAST BOUNTY 2026 SEASON 2 STAGE 2 — FORMAT SPECIFICS
Stage 2 is played in a Single Elimination format. All matches are played as Bo3, and the winners advance to the LAN Finals. For the teams, this is the final step before the final stage of the tournament, so there is no room for error anymore.
Ninjas in Pyjamas received the right to choose an opponent and settled on paiN. Despite the small difference in ranking, the European roster is considered the favorite thanks to more stable form, a stronger map pool, and successful performances in recent weeks.
HEAD-TO-HEAD — FIRST MEETING OF THE UPDATED ROSTERS
The current Ninjas in Pyjamas and paiN rosters have not yet faced each other at official tournaments, so there are no head-to-head statistics.
Both teams reached Stage 2 after a successful start to the tournament, but NiP look like the more balanced roster. The European team performs better in long series and plays more consistently against opponents from the top 30 of the ranking.
CURRENT FORM
Ninjas in Pyjamas — three wins in a row and a strong Nuke
Ninjas in Pyjamas approach the match on a three-match winning streak. The team confidently defeated Echo, 100 Thieves, and M80, showing strong team coordination and good preparation for Bo3 series. Before that, NiP lost to HEROIC and K27, but the latest results indicate a noticeable improvement in form.
The best individual numbers belong to stavn, who has a 1.14 rating over the last three months. xKacpersky and n0te also make a significant contribution, while Snappi provides stability in the team structure and decision-making in key rounds.
paiN — unstable results, but a dangerous opponent
The Brazilian roster continues to alternate confident wins with unsuccessful performances. Over the past few months, paiN defeated Gentle Mates, LP, and METANOIA Wolves, but lost to 3DMAX, Phantom, and Sharks.
The best form is being shown by snow, who has a 1.08 rating, while biguzera and saffee play a major role in building attacks. If paiN can impose a fast tempo and win opening duels, they are capable of creating problems for the favorite.
MAP POOL & VETO
Statistics over the last 3 months (Ninjas in Pyjamas | paiN):
- Cache: — | —
- Dust2: — | 62%
- Mirage: 57% | 33%
- Inferno: 60% | 60%
- Nuke: 85% | 50%
- Ancient: 46% | —
- Anubis: 40% | 60%
Expected veto:
- Ninjas in Pyjamas will almost certainly ban Anubis, where paiN show a 60% win rate, while NiP themselves have only 40%.
- paiN are very likely to remove Nuke — the European roster’s strongest map, where NiP have won 85% of their matches over the last three months.
Likely picks:
- Ninjas in Pyjamas: Mirage — a map where the team has a 57% win rate and regularly shows strong play on both attack and defense.
- paiN: Dust2 — one of the Brazilian roster’s best maps with a 62% win rate, which may become their main opportunity to put up a fight against the favorite.
Possible decider map: Inferno looks like the most likely choice for the third map. Both teams have a 60% win rate, making it the most even map of this series.
KEY DUELS
- stavn vs snow — the main duel of the series, which may determine the outcome of key rounds.
- xKacpersky vs biguzera — a battle between two rifle players for control of central areas of the map.
- Snappi vs saffee — a clash of experience and aggressive style that will influence the tempo of the entire series.
PREDICTION
Ninjas in Pyjamas approach the match in better form and have a more versatile map pool. The team performs more consistently in Bo3 series, has one of the strongest maps of the tournament in Nuke, and shows quality coordination in team play.
paiN are capable of putting up a fight on their own pick and using the individual skill of snow and biguzera, but across the full series, the advantage remains with the European roster.
Projected result: Ninjas in Pyjamas 2–1 paiN
