Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis has earned the first HLTV MVP award of his career after helping FURIA win PGL Masters Bucharest 2026. The 27-year-old rifler finished the tournament with a 1.27 Rating 3.0 across 21 maps and delivered a 1.56-rated performance in the Grand Final against Nemiga.
FURIA defeated Nemiga 3:2 in the championship match, securing their second consecutive title after winning Thunderpick World Championship 2026 earlier in October.
YEKINDAR led the playoff statistics
YEKINDAR finished the tournament as the second-highest-rated player overall, behind Aleksandr “zorte” Zagodyrenko, who recorded a 1.31 rating. However, the FURIA rifler led several important statistical categories during the playoffs.
His playoff statistics included:
- Rating 3.0: 1.37 (#1)
- ADR: 91.6 (#1)
- Kills per round: 0.82 (#1)
- Opening kills per round: 0.18 (joint #1)
- Round Swing: +3.42% (#1)
Across the entire tournament, YEKINDAR averaged 86 damage per round and recorded a +2.48% Round Swing. Despite an inconsistent beginning to the group stage, he improved during the elimination matches and became the highest-rated player in the playoffs.
His best performance came against Liquid
YEKINDAR recorded his highest individual map rating of the tournament against Liquid in the decisive Swiss Stage match on October 28. FURIA won the series 2:0, with the Latvian leading the team on both maps.
On Inferno, he finished with:
- K–D: 21–8
- ADR: 100.7
- Rating 3.0: 2.11
He followed that performance with 20 kills, 15 deaths and a 1.52 rating on Nuke, helping FURIA secure a 13:11 victory and advance to the playoffs.
YEKINDAR continued his form against BetBoom in the quarterfinals, recording a 1.60 rating on Cache, before helping FURIA defeat MOUZ 2:1 in the semifinals.
YEKINDAR finished the Grand Final with a 1.56 rating
The Latvian delivered another strong performance against Nemiga, finishing as the highest-rated player in the five-map Grand Final.
His overall statistics were:
- K–D: 82–57
- ADR: 99.6
- KAST: 75.8%
- Rating 3.0: 1.56
- Round Swing: +5.34%
YEKINDAR recorded a 1.57 rating on Ancient despite FURIA losing the opening map 2:13. He then posted a 1.97 rating on Dust2 and a 1.69 rating on Cache, helping the team take a 2:1 series lead.
Even after Nemiga forced a deciding map with a 13:11 victory on Mirage, where YEKINDAR recorded a 1.60 rating, FURIA recovered to win Nuke 13:6 and secure the championship.
YEKINDAR earns his first career MVP medal
The award marks the first HLTV MVP medal for YEKINDAR, who previously represented Virtus.pro, Outsiders and Liquid before joining FURIA.
Speaking to HLTV after receiving the award, the 27-year-old reflected on his performance and career resurgence.
FalleN said I’m out of my prime, but here I am making an MVP run.
The MVP award follows a tournament in which YEKINDAR led the playoff statistics and delivered his highest-rated series in the Grand Final. His performance helped FURIA secure another trophy and marked an important individual achievement in his career.
