Team Liquid dominates final two maps, eliminates Vitality

In the fifth round of the VCT EMEA 2026 Kickoff lower bracket, Team Liquid Team Liquid Europe Rank #8 purp0 Semyon Borchev wayne Wayne Chang MiniBoo Dominykas Lukaševičius nAts Ayaz Akhmetshin kamo Kamil Frąckowiak eliminated Team Vitality Team Vitality Europe Rank #5 Jamppi Elias Olkkonen PROFEK Dawid Święć Derke Nikita Sirmitev Chronicle Timofey Khromov Sayonara Ștefan Mîtcu in a 2-1 fashion. The European superteam from Vitality started strong, but Liquid was dominant on the final two maps to reverse sweep the three-map series and stay alive at Kickoff.

Starting on Corrode, Vitality ran double-Duelist Phoenix Yoru with a Chamber, while Liquid ran double-Duelist with Waylay and Yoru instead. Vitality won the first pistol, converted the bonus, and ran ahead to a 6-0 lead. Liquid managed to stop that run, but only by a little, as Vitality reached the half up 10-2. Derke was on fire in the first half, ending it with 15 kills. Team Liquid won the second pistol, but was unable to convert the bonus. Due to the big deficit, that bonus win was needed, as Vitality eventually closed out map one 13-8.

Bind was a needed fresh start for Liquid, who ran double-Duelist with Waylay and Neon to face off against the double-Controller and double-Initiator from Vitality. Liquid won the first pistol, and even after losing the bonus, jumped to a 5-2 lead. The defense from Liquid was amazing, with both nAts and MiniBoo moving to comfort agents in Viper and Neon, respectively. Up 9-3 at the half, Liquid was perfect in the second half to end Bind 13-3 and quickly move the series to map three.

Breeze was the decider, with both teams running double-Duelist, but Liquid stuck to Neon while Derke moved onto Jett. Liquid earned another pistol win, but Vitality prevented that bonus round win to keep the half within reach. An important early round was won off a 1v3 by wayne , doing so with 5 HP.

wayne wins a 1v3 clutch on 5 HP.

Even when Vitality would earn a round win, Liquid would win a big thrifty off some sleek kamo Sheriff shots. The moments were pure chaos as kamo led Liquid to a 9-3 lead at the half. Vitality needed to win the second pistol, but it wasn't meant to be. Team Liquid frequently bashed its head into the wall of B site hits, giving Vitality confidence to try and come back from a 12-3 deficit. That was until Team Liquid ran a successful A site hit, and that ended the map 13-9 and the series 2-1.

With this win, Team Liquid will face off against the loser of the middle bracket finals in the lower finals for that final EMEA slot at Masters Santiago.

oh nAts,
He That Separated the Light from the Deep and Set the Firmament in Its Course,
Who Was Before the Morning and Remaineth After the Evening,
by Whose Word the Heavens Were Stretched Forth and the Earth Was Established,
the Ancient Ordainer of Seasons and the Measurer of Days,
the One Before Whom the Stars Took Their Stations,
the Governor of the Upper Host and the Watcher Over the Frozen North,
Before Whom Snow and Fire Keep Their Covenant,
the Holder of the Wheel of Return and the Appointer of Lives Repeated,
Who Granteth Rebirth as Mercy and Withholdeth Rest as Judgment,
the Numberer of Souls and the Witness of Every End,
from Whose Will Proceedeth the Seraph of TL,
A Flame That Speaketh and a Fire That Obeyeth,
the Still One Whom Time Cannot Hasten,
the Authority Against Whom There Is No Answer,
the Name Uttered Before the First Dawn and Not Silenced at the Last Trumpet,
Who Abideth Without Peer, Without Change, and Without End.
this non-sense and paganism must be stopped
-poiuu20