BLAST Bounty S2 Finals field set with Spirit as lone top-10 side
Falcons, Vitality, G2, Aurora, and FURIA all fell in the online stage, leaving Spirit as the only top-ten team headed to Malta. A new-look Liquid made the loudest noise on the way in.
Heavy hitters stay home as Malta bracket takes shape
The field for BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 2 Finals is locked in, and it looks nothing like anyone would have predicted heading into the online qualifier stage. According to HLTV, Spirit will be the only top-ten team competing at the LAN event in Malta after Falcons, Vitality, FURIA, G2, and a new-look Aurora all failed to make it through the online portion of the bracket.
Falcons entered the tournament ranked first in the world. Vitality sat at second. FURIA at third. G2 at eighth. None of them are going to Malta. Spirit, ranked somewhere inside the top ten, punched their ticket. Behind them, the second-highest ranked side in the field is MOUZ at number 11 in the world, as reported by HLTV.
The full eight-team lineup headed to Malta: Spirit, MOUZ, The MongolZ, FaZe, Astralis, paiN, Liquid, and 3DMAX.
Liquid makes the loudest entrance
Of all the stories coming out of the qualifier stage, Liquid’s run might be the most worth paying attention to. The team debuted new in-game leader Johnny “JT” Theodosiou and 17-year-old AWPer Georgi “Jorko” Mitev, and according to HLTV they went 2-0 against both Vitality and G2 to earn their spot. For context on just how loaded that path was: they beat the second and eighth ranked teams in the world. On their first outing together as a unit.
Liquid’s current roster, per HLTV, also includes veterans Keith “NAF” Markovic, Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski, and Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa. Jorko, despite being just 17, has already logged 285 maps at a 1.08 rating, per the player stats listed on HLTV. JT comes in with 1,693 maps of experience at the top level. That is a lot of institutional knowledge around a young fragger.
Shakeups across the bracket
Liquid were not the only side dealing with roster changes. HLTV noted that both The MongolZ and MOUZ brought adjusted lineups into the qualifier and still got through, while Aurora and G2 went through changes but came up short. The nature of what “new-look” means for those squads was not detailed further in the source.
Astralis qualified with new coach Filip “NEO” Kubski, the 39-year-old Polish legend, on the bench. FaZe made it through as well, with HLTV noting the team is chasing VRS points after missing the Cologne Major. For a squad that includes David “frozen” Cernansky and Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken, Malta represents a meaningful opportunity to stay relevant in the standings conversation.
paiN and 3DMAX round out the eight. paiN’s Brazilian core, anchored by Vinicius “vsm” Moreira and Rafael “saffee” Costa, has been a consistent qualifier-circuit presence, and 3DMAX has continued to build on their reputation as one of the more reliable mid-tier outfits in European Counter-Strike.
What to watch going into Malta
Matchups have not been set yet. According to HLTV, the bracket will be determined during a live draft show in Malta later this week. That format adds a layer of theater before a single map is played, and given the unusual composition of this field, the draw could matter quite a bit.
Spirit enter as the clear favorites on paper. Donk’s recent form alone makes them a tough proposition for anyone in this bracket, and HLTV reported a 13-0 map win against 100 Thieves earlier in the event. But unusual fields can produce unusual results, and the new Liquid lineup just demonstrated that much against two of the top three teams in the world. The bracket announcement is worth watching.
Which teams qualified for BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 2 Finals?
According to HLTV, the eight teams are Spirit, MOUZ, The MongolZ, FaZe, Astralis, paiN, Liquid, and 3DMAX.
Why is the BLAST Bounty S2 Finals field considered weak at the top?
As reported by HLTV, only one top-ten ranked team made the LAN finals. Spirit qualified, but Falcons (ranked 1st), Vitality (2nd), G2 (8th), FURIA (3rd), and Aurora were all eliminated during the online stage.
When and where is BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 2 Finals taking place?
The event is being held in Malta. According to HLTV, matchups will be announced during a live draft show there later in the week.
Who are the new additions to Team Liquid that helped them qualify?
According to HLTV, Liquid qualified with new in-game leader Johnny 'JT' Theodosiou and AWPer Georgi 'Jorko' Mitev, beating both Vitality and G2 2-0 along the way.