Aurora defeat FaZe and advance to the upper bracket final of BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026

Aurora completed a comeback in a tense series against FaZe, securing a 2–1 victory and advancing to the Group A upper bracket final at BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026. Despite losing the opening map, the team managed to turn the series around and confidently close it out on Inferno and Dust2.

Map veto:

1. FaZe removed Anubis
2. Aurora removed Ancient
3. FaZe picked Nuke
4. Aurora picked Inferno
5. FaZe removed Overpass
6. Aurora removed Mirage
7. Dust2 was left over

The series started on Nuke, where FaZe managed to edge out a hard-fought 13:11 win. The European side performed better in key rounds during the second half, maintaining a narrow lead and closing out the map despite strong resistance from Aurora.

On Inferno, Aurora responded with a confident performance to level the series. They controlled the pace of the game, especially on the defensive side, which allowed them to secure a 13:8 victory. Aurora looked more structured in crucial moments and didn’t allow their opponents to impose their game.

The decider took place on Dust2, where Aurora completed their comeback with a 13:10 win. Despite a close contest, the team made better use of key clutch situations and important economic rounds, which proved decisive in the closing stages of the map.

MVP of the match

The best player of the match was XANTARES, who finished with an ADR of 81.5 and a 1.25 rating.

Aurora will now play in the Group A upper bracket final against the winner of the FURIA vs TYLOO matchup. Meanwhile, FaZe will face the loser of that series. BLAST Open Rotterdam runs from March 18 to 29, featuring 16 teams competing for the championship title and a $250,000 prize pool.