Falcons and Aurora delivered convincing performances in the third Swiss round at FISSURE Playground 2, defeating their opponents 2:0. With this, both teams have already guaranteed themselves a place in the playoffs, while FURIA and FaZe are now forced to fight for survival — their head-to-head clash will be a true “life or death” match.
FISSURE PLAYGROUND 2
FISSURE Playground 2 continues to deliver surprises. The tournament, which brought together top teams from Europe and Brazil, has become a true test of resilience. For Aurora, this is a chance to cement their place among the world’s elite after a string of consistent performances. Falcons, meanwhile, confirm their status as one of the main title contenders. For FURIA and FaZe, the losses were a serious blow — both rosters now find themselves on the brink of elimination and must show their maximum to stay in contention.
ROAD TO THE MATCHES
- Falcons vs FaZe
Falcons entered their match against FaZe in excellent form, having defeated Vitality and G2. NiKo, m0NESY, and TeSeS set the tone in all previous matches. FaZe, on the other hand, looked unstable — winning against NaVi and paiN, but faltering against G2.
- Aurora vs FURIA
Aurora also showed solid preparation ahead of their meeting with FURIA. Wins over Astralis and Heroic proved that the team was ready to compete at the highest level. FURIA, meanwhile, although they beat Liquid and Spirit, couldn’t maintain momentum and fell short against a more organized opponent when it mattered most.
MATCH TIMELINE
- Falcons vs FaZe
Nuke (13:11) — the first half ended 6:6, with FaZe finding a few key rounds thanks to frozen and rain. But in decisive moments NiKo shut down the opponent’s attacks, while m0NESY closed angles with the AWP. Falcons showed discipline and finished the map in their favor.
Dust2 (13:6) — FaZe couldn’t capitalize on their own pick. Falcons broke their economy from the first rounds and kept extending the lead. Kyxsan commanded the team with clarity, while kyousuke kept finding openings. FaZe looked disorganized, and broky lost most of his duels.
- Aurora vs FURIA
Inferno (13:5) — FURIA picked this map but immediately collapsed. Aurora imposed their style of play: XANTARES relentlessly pressured sites, while woxic consistently found openers. At 8:4, the first half essentially sealed the map.
Dust2 (13:11) — the most intense map of the series. FURIA fought hard, and at one point the score was 9:9, but XANTARES stepped up with decisive clutches, and Wicadia secured the result with precise plays in the final rounds. Aurora closed the series with a clean sweep.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Nikola “NiKo” Kovač (Falcons) — the main star of the match against FaZe. His 36 frags and 1.48 rating were the decisive factor. He won most of the key duels, especially in the closing rounds on Nuke, where he denied FaZe the chance to take the lead.
Ismailcan “XANTARES” Dörtkardeş (Aurora) — the true monster of the series. His stats (45–24, ADR 113.5, rating 1.74) underline total dominance. On Inferno he was the driving force of every attack, while on Dust2 he won two clutches that broke FURIA completely.
WHAT’S NEXT
Falcons and Aurora are already in the playoffs and can now prepare for battles against the strongest opponents. Both lineups confirmed that they are serious contenders for the trophy.
FaZe and FURIA, meanwhile, will meet in an elimination match. It will be a survival game for two legendary organizations. Defeat will deal a major blow to ambitions and rankings, while victory will give one of them the chance to stay alive in the playoff race.
