The week of September 5–11 delivered plenty of major esports storylines, from championship runs in Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 to surprising tournament exits and important developments ahead of the 2027 VALORANT season.
Team Spirit lifted another CS2 trophy, NAVI continued their dominant Dota 2 run with a second consecutive EPL Masters title, while FaZe Clan endured a disastrous start to FISSURE Playground 3 in China.
Here are some of the biggest esports stories from September 5 to 11, 2026.
Team Spirit Beat MOUZ to Win BLAST Open Porto
Team Spirit added another trophy to their collection after defeating MOUZ in the grand final of BLAST Open Porto on September 6.
Spirit reached the deciding match after beating Falcons in the semifinals, while MOUZ secured their place in the final with a victory over Vitality.
The grand final went Spirit’s way, extending another impressive period for the team at the highest level of Counter-Strike 2.
Danil «donk» Kryshkovets once again played a central role in the victory and was named the tournament’s MVP. It was his second consecutive BLAST Open MVP award, further strengthening his position among the standout CS2 players of 2026.
For MOUZ, reaching the final was still a significant result after overcoming Vitality in the semifinals, but Spirit proved to be the stronger side in the title decider.
NAVI Claim Second Consecutive EPL Masters Championship
NAVI continued their impressive Dota 2 run by winning EPL Masters II and securing their second consecutive title in the tournament series.
The team began its playoff campaign with a 2-0 victory over Power Rangers before beating Klim Sani4 2-1 in the next round.
NAVI ultimately reached the grand final, where they faced Klim Sani4 for a second time.
There was considerably less resistance in the rematch. NAVI swept the best-of-five series 3-0 to become two-time EPL Masters champions.
The victory earned NAVI $50,000. Klim Sani4 received $25,000 for second place, while GamerLegion and MOUZ collected $13,000 and $7,000 respectively.
The numbers behind NAVI’s recent run are particularly impressive. Across their last two EPL Masters tournaments, the team recorded 16 victories while dropping only one map.
FaZe Clan Collapse at FISSURE Playground 3
FaZe Clan endured one of the most disappointing starts of the week at FISSURE Playground 3 in China.
The team opened the tournament against Alliance on September 8 and suffered a surprising 0-2 defeat. Alliance took the series with 13-9 and 13-11 map victories, immediately sending FaZe into the lower bracket.
Things did not improve the following day.
FaZe faced magic in an elimination series and lost 1-2, bringing their FISSURE Playground 3 campaign to an abrupt end.
The result left FaZe in last place at the event and added further pressure on a roster already struggling to produce consistent results.
FISSURE Playground 3, held from September 8 to 13, also produced several other early surprises, including The MongolZ losing to MIBR before being eliminated by fellow Mongolian team 5star.
Valve’s September Ranking Causes Chaos
Valve’s September team ranking became another major talking point in the Counter-Strike scene.
The ranking was released after a delay that created complications for tournament organizers relying on Valve Regional Standings to determine invitations and qualification positions.
The situation once again highlighted the importance of VRS in the modern Counter-Strike ecosystem. With tournament access increasingly tied to Valve’s ranking system, even relatively small changes or delays can have significant consequences for teams competing for places at major events.
For organizations sitting close to qualification cutoffs, every official match can now have a direct impact on their ability to reach some of the biggest tournaments on the calendar.
Global Esports Make History in VCT Pacific
One of the week’s biggest VALORANT stories came from VCT Pacific, where Global Esports completed a historic Stage 2 run.
Global Esports defeated Nongshim RedForce 3-2 in the grand final after falling behind in the series, completing a reverse sweep to secure the regional championship.
The result represented Global Esports’ first VCT Pacific title and capped their strongest season in the organization’s VALORANT history.
Their playoff run also included a 3-1 victory over T1 in the lower final and a breakthrough win against DRX.
Go «UdoTan» Kyung-won was named MVP following Global Esports’ title-winning performance.
The result also secured the team’s place at VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026.
Riot Reveals First Details of the VCT 2027 Qualification System
While teams continued competing for the biggest prizes of the 2026 season, Riot Games also began looking ahead to next year.
On September 8, VALORANT Esports published details about the VCT 2027 Open Qualifiers, providing the first official look at another route into the competitive ecosystem.
The announcement is particularly important for aspiring professional teams and players outside the established VCT organizations, as the open qualification structure provides another pathway into competition.
More changes to the wider VCT ecosystem are expected as Riot prepares for the 2027 season.
Thunderpick World Championship Qualifiers Take Shape
Counter-Strike’s busy September calendar also continued with the Thunderpick World Championship 2026 Closed Qualifier.
The qualifier runs alongside several other important competitions during a packed period for professional CS2 teams.
The schedule is particularly demanding because teams are simultaneously competing for tournament trophies, ranking points and positions at upcoming international events.
The week also saw qualification events for PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 taking place across multiple regions, further increasing the importance of every match for teams outside the very top of the global ranking.
FISSURE Playground 3 Produces Early Upsets
FaZe were not the only high-profile team to struggle in Suzhou.
The MongolZ suffered a 1-2 defeat to MIBR in their opening match before losing 0-2 to 5star in the elimination series.
Astralis also found themselves under pressure. After opening the tournament with a victory over G2, the Danish organization later lost to BETBOOM and was eliminated by 5star.
Meanwhile, teams including FURIA, BETBOOM, Legacy, G2 and Alliance remained in contention as the tournament moved toward its decisive playoff stage.
The results reinforced just how unpredictable the current CS2 competitive landscape has become, with established organizations increasingly vulnerable to emerging teams.
A Packed September for Esports
The September 5–11 period showed just how crowded the final months of the 2026 esports season are becoming.
Spirit’s victory in Porto reinforced the team’s status as one of Counter-Strike’s leading forces, while NAVI’s second consecutive EPL Masters title demonstrated similar momentum in Dota 2.
At the same time, FaZe’s early exit in China showed how quickly established teams can lose ground in the increasingly competitive CS2 ecosystem.
VALORANT also delivered a major storyline with Global Esports’ historic Pacific championship, while Riot has already started laying the groundwork for the 2027 VCT season.
With FISSURE Playground 3 still underway and qualification battles intensifying across several games, September is shaping up to be another busy month for competitive esports.
