by Ciaran Jackman in
eSports Betting News

The PGL Cluj-Napoca playoffs are set following a dramatic conclusion to the Swiss Stage, where Astralis, SAW, and MOUZ all clinched their spots in the arena.

Astralis locked in their playoff berth on the final day with a convincing 2-0 victory over BIG, winning Ancient 13-7 and Inferno 13-8.

The German Counter-Strike side started strong on their own map pick, storming to a 5-0 lead before the Danish squad took complete control, rattling off 12 straight rounds to secure map point.

Inferno followed a similar trajectory, with Astralis racing to an 8-1 lead on the terrorist side before closing the half 8-4.

BIG’s late resurgence was merely cosmetic as Astralis sealed the series and their ticket to the arena.

“Now we’ll see who we draw,” said in-game leader Casper “cadiaN” M?ller.

“If you want to consider yourself a team that wants to do something when the top three isn’t present, then you need to aspire for more.”

Victor “Staehr” Staehr played a key role in the win, posting a 1.61 rating on Inferno.

CadiaN acknowledged his impact but emphasised there was more to come.

“He still has a lot of room for growth,” he noted, highlighting the young player’s raw talent and potential.

SAW stunned the competition by securing their first-ever Big Event arena appearance, capping off a remarkable turnaround from an 0-2 start.

The Portuguese squad edged out 3DMAX 2-0 in a tense battle, overcoming an 11-4 lead that slipped into overtime before closing out Dust2 16-14.

The win ensures a fitting send-off for Ricardo “roman” Oliveira and José “Shr” Gil, who were benched ahead of the tournament.

“We are just trying to give our best to give them the best result possible,” said Jo?o “story” Vieira, who shone as SAW’s talisman with a series-defining 1.13 kills per round in their victories.

For 3DMAX, the loss marks another missed opportunity, as they failed to capitalise on what was considered a favourable draw.

Their tactical discipline has often kept them above tier-two competition, but their inability to seize control when favoured raises serious questions about their trajectory.

MOUZ punched their ticket to the playoffs with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Virtus.pro.

After dropping Inferno 7-13, they responded emphatically with a 13-5 win on Ancient before demolishing VP 13-2 on Mirage.

Lotan “Spinx” Giladi, one of MOUZ’s newest additions, has quickly proven his worth, helping stabilise the team in critical moments.

While the squad has struggled with consistency, squandering big leads against FaZe Clan and Team Falcons, their ability to bounce back has been crucial.

“Brollan is doing a good job,” Spinx said, acknowledging the growing pains of the Swedish player’s transition to in-game leader.

“Some T sides were lacking, but it’s not on him, it’s on everyone.”

For Virtus.pro, the tournament ended in disappointment.

Timur “FL4MUS” Marev, brought in to add aggression, struggled in his selfless new role, posting just a 0.67 rating in the series.

Despite flashes of their old resilience, VP failed to find consistency, with Denis “electroNic” Sharipov going 0-6 in opening duels on Mirage as the team crumbled.

With the Swiss stage wrapped up, the quarterfinal matchups are set, with each of the four series scheduled for Friday, February 21.

FaZe will clash with SAW, which will be a rematch of their Swiss Stage series.

The MongolZ will meet Astralis, and paiN Gaming is set to clash MOUZ, while Falcons will seek revenge against Eternal Fire after they beat them at IEM Katowice.

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