9z claimed an impressive opening victory against Aurora, the fifth-ranked team in the VRS, at this year's Thunderpick World Championship in Malta.
The Latin American roster had shown promise earlier in 2026, reaching playoffs at PGL Astana and the IEM Cologne Major while defeating top teams like MOUZ, Falcons, and Vitality. Despite winning XSE Pro League during summer, their momentum stalled in the second half of the year with consecutive group-stage eliminations at EWC, BLAST Porto, FPG 3, and EPL 24.
The two teams previously met at EPL 24, where Aurora dominated and went on to finish third overall. This time, however, Maximiliano "max" Gonzalez's squad turned the tables convincingly.
Luciano "luchov" Herrera delivered a standout performance, topping the server with a 1.61 rating, +6.61 K-D difference, 97.4 ADR, and 86.8% KAST. The 25-year-old star player was instrumental in securing the series win.
9z established early control on their Inferno selection, securing eight attacking rounds before the map became tight on defense, ultimately going down to the final round. Nuke proved far more one-sided, as Aurora managed just a single round on the attacking side, avoiding a complete shutout by the narrowest margin.
The victory earned 9z 62 valuable VRS ranking points, strengthening their position for a Stage 2 Major berth. They currently sit third in the Americas region with 1571 points.
