Astralis is in the Grand Finals of the PGL Bucharest 2026, beating 3DMAX with a 2-0 scoreline. Arguably the best team in the event, Astralis will be in the Grand Final as HooXi’s project looks to be finally taking shape.
VETO
- 3DMAX removed Mirage
- Astralis removed Anubis
- 3DMAX picked Dust2
- Astralis picked Overpass
- Astralis removed Inferno
- 3DMAX removed Ancient
- Nuke was left over
Map 1: Dust2; Pick: 3DMAX; Winner: Astralis
Winning the pistol, 3DMAX hit the board first before Astralis got going with the first full buy round of the defence. Staying dominant for the better part of the first half, Astralis walked away with 9 rounds while 3DMAX only managed 3. Starting their defence on a better note, 3DMAX narrowed in on the lead before Astralis traded rounds equally to edge out the map with a tight 13-11 scoreline. Phzy with 22 kills ensured a resilient performance from Astralis, securing the first map of the series.
Map 2: Overpass; Pick: Astralis; Winner: Astralis
3-0 start for 3DMAX gave them a head start before Astralis went on to level the scoreline. As both teams enjoyed streaks of rounds, the French side pulled ahead with a narrow lead before switching sides with a 7-5 scoreline. Winning the pistol on their offence, 3DMAX extended their lead before the Astralis defence caught momentum with the first gun round, which put them on a series point despite trailing in the first half. Without letting 3DMAX have room for a comeback, Astralis closed the door in the following round and sealed a 13-10 win with the IGL HooXi topping the charts with 24 kills.
While being written off from the list of top teams, Astralis has once again found a core that is slowly building its way up to the upper echelons of CS2. Should they win tomorrow, Astralis will get the confidence they need to threaten the top sides in the coming events.