Falcons, Aurora clinch playoff spots at FISSURE Playground #2

Aurora and Team Falcons headlined the Counter-Strike 2 action at FISSURE Playground #2 on Monday, sealing playoff berths in the 3-0 pool with composed victories that showcased their championship potential.

Aurora swept aside FURIA Esports in clinical fashion, proving their form in Belgrade is no fluke.

The Turkish squad stormed through Inferno 13-6 on the back of sharp early calls from Engin “MAJ3R” Küpeli, before Ismailcan “XANTARES” Dörtkardeş stole the show with a devastating display.

• 

  Fast Payouts

XANTARES posted a 2.00 rating and 116 ADR on the opener, then added multi-kills throughout Dust2 to flip a 6-9 deficit into a 13-11 triumph.

His 45 frags and 1.74 series rating underlined Aurora’s depth and firepower, leaving FURIA with few answers after their bright start.

Team Falcons were just as convincing, dispatching FaZe Clan 2-0 to keep their flawless Swiss stage run intact.

Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski’s men set the tone on Nuke, fending off a spirited rally thanks to Nikola “NiKo” Kovač’s clutch kills in yard.

Double- and triple-kill rounds from NiKo kept FaZe from stealing the map despite shaky halves from Maxim “kyousuke” Lukin.

Dust2 was far simpler. Helvijs “broky” Saukants’ pistol quad kill offered fleeting resistance, but Falcons cruised to a 13-6 win and secured their spot in the playoffs.

Elsewhere, Team Liquid survived a scrappy series to eliminate HEROIC and move into the 1-2 pool.

Despite repeated technical pauses, Guy “NertZ” Iluz and Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken carried Liquid past HEROIC, keeping their Budapest Major hopes alive.

HEROIC’s new-look lineup, missing key firepower after roster moves, showed flashes but lacked consistency in closing moments.

• 

  The bookies' bookie

Virtus.pro also extended their tournament lives, edging Lynn Vision in a tense lower-bracket clash.

Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy’s squad rallied from a 5-9 deficit on Dust2 behind a clutch from Kaisar “ICY” Faiznurov, then relied on Vadim “tO0RO” Arkov’s heroics to stabilize Train and claim the series.

With Aurora and Falcons setting the standard, and Liquid and Virtus.pro grinding out survival wins, the playoff race at FISSURE Playground #2 is heating up fast.

Monday’s results at FISSURE Playground #2

• Team Falcons 2-0 FaZe Clan
• Aurora 2-0 FURIA Esports
• The MongolZ 2-0 TYLOO
• GamerLegion 2-1 3DMAX
• paiN Gaming 2-0 Astralis
• Virtus.pro 2-0 Lynn Vision
• Team Liquid 2-1 HEROIC