Falcons have punched their ticket to the Thunderpick World Championship 2026 playoffs following a hard-fought 2-1 series win against 9z in the Group A upper bracket final. The South American roster will now face Aurora once again in the lower bracket final, seeking one last opportunity to advance from the group stage.
The opening map on 9z's Nuke selection saw Falcons dominate the CT side from the start. They captured the pistol round with a crucial three-man play on Ramp, shutting down an aggressive push despite four frags from Maksim "kyousuke" Lukin. This momentum carried them to a commanding 7-1 advantage. Although 9z managed to claw back three rounds before halftime and kept fighting after winning the second pistol, Falcons proved too strong. They strung together four consecutive rifle rounds to reach 12-6 before sealing the map shortly after.
Mirage belonged entirely to 9z and their standout performer Luciano "luchov" Herrera. After posting a solid 1.20 rating on Nuke, luchov exploded with an impressive 2.06 rating and a massive +9.68% impact swing, spearheading his team's 13-8 victory. Meanwhile, kyousuke endured one of his worst performances since joining Falcons, recording just a 0.54 rating.
The decider on Dust2 was firmly in Falcons' grasp throughout. They secured the opening pistol on the T-side and built an 8-4 halftime lead—a stark contrast to their previous 13-1 loss on this map against 9z at PGL Astana. Finn "karrigan" Andersen's squad extended their advantage to 11 rounds just four rounds into the second half. Despite a late surge from 9z attempting a comeback, Falcons held steady and closed out the map 13-9, confirming their playoff qualification.
