Spirit has advanced to the semi-finals of IEM Rio 2026, beating MOUZ with a 2-0 scoreline. Not only does this win secure a high placement for Spirit, but they will now have the chance to take revenge on the Falcons, who bullied them earlier in the tournament.
VETO
- Spirit removed Inferno
- MOUZ removed Anubis
- Spirit picked Dust2
- MOUZ picked Mirage
- Spirit removed Ancient
- MOUZ removed Overpass
- Nuke was left over
Map 1: Dust2; Pick: Spirit; Winner: Spirit
4-0 start for Spirit puts MOUZ on the back foot right from the get-go. As MOUZ struggled to find its footing, Spirit managed to outlast them in the first half by not letting them have more than two, leading to a 10-2 half. MOUZ pulled the game back before Spirit managed to hit the board once again in the full buy round, upon which they remained flawless to edge out a dominant win with a 13-5 scoreline. TN1R, with 18 kills, led Spirit to a dominant start as donk took the second chair to kick off the series.
Map 2: Mirage; Pick: MOUZ ; Winner: Spirit
Following a dominant start to the series, Spirit got off to a 5-0 start before MOUZ could hit the board. While MOUZ continued to struggle, Spirit outclassed them with a massive lead, with a 9-3 scoreline. Winning 5 rounds in a row put MOUZ within touching distance of Spirit before the CIS side got back to their winning ways. By winning 4 rounds in a row, Spirit outclassed MOUZ to reach the semi-finals as another tN1R masterclass of 21 kills sealed a convincing win for Spirit.
Spirit are through to the next round of play, eliminating MOUZ in the process. As MOUZ were outclassed, it really calls their strategy into question moving forward as the Major comes closer.
