Team Vitality delivered another dominant performance at BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026, confidently defeating Aurora Gaming 2–0 in the semi-final to secure a spot in the grand final. The series was one-sided from start to finish, with Vitality completely controlling the pace and shutting down Aurora’s aggressive playstyle. From the opening rounds, it was clear that Aurora would struggle to keep up. Vitality dictated every phase of the game — from early-round map control to late-round executions — leaving almost no room for comeback attempts.
Road to the Semi-Final
Vitality continue their incredible run through the tournament:
- 2–0 vs 9z
- 2–0 vs The MongolZ
- 2–0 vs PARIVISION
- 2–0 vs Aurora
A flawless path — not a single map dropped — reinforcing their статус головного фаворита турніру.
Aurora’s run, however, was still impressive:
- 2–1 vs FaZe
- 2–0 vs The MongolZ
- 0-2 vs NAVI
- 2–0 vs FURIA
Their journey ends in the semi-finals, securing a top-4 finish.
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Map breakdown
Inferno — Vitality take full control (13:5)
Aurora’s pick quickly turned into a nightmare. Vitality looked perfectly prepared, shutting down early aggression and consistently winning opening duels. Their CT side was nearly flawless, with strong utility usage and disciplined rotations.
Aurora simply couldn’t break through — every attempt to gain control of banana or mid was punished instantly. By halftime, the game already felt decided, and Vitality comfortably closed it out.
Nuke — complete shutdown (13:5)
On their own pick, Vitality elevated the pressure even further. Their T side showcased perfect structure: slow defaults, precise timing hits, and excellent spacing in executes.
Aurora had no answers. Defensive setups were repeatedly dismantled, and individual duels heavily favored Vitality. Once the momentum slipped away, Aurora never recovered, as Vitality closed the series without allowing any real resistance.
Match statistics
Player of the Match — Shahar “flameZ” Shushan
Across two maps:
- 37–22 K-D
- 100.5 ADR
- 88.9% KAST
- 1.83 rating
flameZ was everywhere — opening rounds, anchoring sites, and delivering high-impact multi-kills. His consistency and aggression set the tone for the entire series.
Team reactions
Vitality players reacted confidently after the win:
- apEX: “Won 2-0 against Aurora. Final tomorrow, gg wp.”
- mezii: “2-0 vs Aurora, great performance by the team ”
- ropz: “Grand final Rotterdam #cool #nice #wow”
Aurora, meanwhile, shared a more emotional response:
We finish BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 in 3–4th place… Thank you for your support.
Despite the loss, the team acknowledged their run and thanked fans.
VRS impact
Vitality remain firmly at the top of the rankings, maintaining their лидерство without losing points, while Aurora drop −22 VRS points after the semi-final defeat.
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What this means
Vitality are now one step away from another title — and based on their current form, they look nearly unstoppable. Four series, four clean victories, total control in every game. Aurora, on the other hand, showed promise but were clearly outmatched at the highest level. Against a team like Vitality, even small mistakes were instantly punished.
With this victory, Vitality advance to the grand final, where they will fight for the BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 title — and potentially extend one of the most dominant runs of the season.
