Wildcard have punched their ticket to the Thunderpick World Championship 2026: Closed Qualifier playoffs after defeating Nemesis in their matchup. The team will now prepare to face BBL in the single-elimination bracket, marking a clash against one of Counter-Strike's newest organizations.
The series opened on Inferno, Wildcard's map selection, where Nemesis stormed out to a commanding 6-0 start. The momentum carried through the first half as Nemesis closed it out with an 8-4 advantage. The second half told a different story, however, as Wildcard's defensive setup proved formidable. Danny "Cxzi" Strzelczyk delivered crucial impact rounds, helping his squad claim nine of the remaining rounds to close out the map 13-9.
Dust2 provided a more competitive battleground, with both sides posting identical 7-5 CT-sided halves that pushed the match into overtime. Wildcard ultimately emerged victorious with a 16-13 scoreline. Evgeniy "r3salt" Frolov put up impressive numbers for Nemesis across the series, posting a 1.41 rating, but it wasn't enough to change the outcome. For the victors, Jadan "HexT" Postma topped the scoreboard with a 1.28 rating.
The North American roster will return to action tomorrow when they square off against BBL in their opening playoff match.
