Aurora has qualified for the IEM Krakow 2026 playoffs after beating MOUZ with a 2-0 scoreline. Having received severe criticism for their drop in form, Aurora has come alive, and now they are in a prime position to cause serious damage.
VETO
- Aurora removed Ancient
- MOUZ removed Anubis
- Aurora picked Dust2
- MOUZ picked Inferno
- Aurora removed Mirage
- MOUZ removed Overpass
- Nuke was left over
Map 1: Dust 2; Pick: Aurora; Winner: Aurora
A dominant 5-0 start for Aurora gave them a solid headstart to kick off their own map pick before MOUZ managed to snatch back control of the game and hit back with 6 of their own. Aurora winning the final round levelled the scoreline before the teams switched sides. The very tight first half of the game got turned upside down as Aurora on the defence posted a near-flawless half as MOUZ only managed one more, that too with Sphix’s individual heroics pulling off a 4K before Aurora closed the map with a dominant 13-7 scoreline. In a team filled with mechanically gifted players, it was MAJ3R, the IGL, who topped the charts with 17 kills and 1.48IR.
Map 2: Inferno; Pick: MOUZ; Winner: Aurora
Aurora hit the board, winning the force-buy after MOUZ started the map with a pistol round win. Both teams traded rounds as the first half failed to yield a dominant side until the final rounds, where Aurora put together 3 in a row to edge out the first half with an 8-4 lead. Aurora extended their lead further with 3 consecutive rounds and their series point by round 16 before MOUZ started winning rounds on their defense. Without letting the game slip further, Aurora closed out the map effortlessly with a 13-9 scoreline. Despite Torszi doing the heavy lifting for MOUZ, Soulfly with 1.33 IR stood out as the best player in back to back series.
Having beaten Falcons and MOUZ in the same event has boosted their confidence to an all-time high, and if this form continues in the next stage, we might see them give a tough time to Spirit and Vitality.