Spirit have become the first Group A team to secure a playoff berth at BLAST Open Porto 2026 after defeating G2 2-0. NAVI, meanwhile, will continue their tournament run in an elimination series against paiN.
The third day of BLAST Open Porto 2026 has already produced the first confirmed playoff team from Group A, with Spirit booking their place in the final six.
Spirit swept G2 2-0, taking Dust2 13-6 before closing G2’s Cache pick 13-9.
donk led the winning side with a 1.45 rating and 31 kills across the two maps, while tN1R followed closely with a 1.36 rating.
Securing a playoff berth does not end Spirit’s group-stage run. They will next face the winner of M80 versus FURIA in the Group A upper-bracket final, which will determine playoff seeding.
G2 remain alive despite the defeat. They have dropped into the lower bracket and will face the winner of Natus Vincere versus paiN on August 30.
For NAVI and paiN, however, there is no second chance. Their lower-bracket series is an elimination match, with the losing team leaving BLAST Open Porto.
NAVI entered the lower bracket after losing their opening series, while paiN were sent there following a 0-2 defeat to FURIA.
The winner will advance to face G2 for another opportunity to remain in contention for one of Group A’s playoff places.
Earlier on Friday, Aurora eliminated DENDELE with a 2-0 victory. Aurora won Cache 13-7 before taking Mirage 16-12 after overtime.
Jimpphat posted a 1.49 rating across the series, while Wicadia led the server with 46 kills. The result ended DENDELE’s run at the tournament and kept Aurora alive in the lower bracket.
The final Group A match of the day will see M80 take on FURIA. Unlike NAVI and paiN, both teams remain in the upper bracket, with the winner securing an immediate playoff spot.
FURIA enter the matchup after opening the event with a 2-0 win over paiN. The Brazilian side also finished fourth at the 2026 Esports World Cup and reached the final of the IEM Cologne Major earlier in the summer.
M80 have spent much of the season building results in North America and arrived in Porto as one of the lower-ranked teams in the field. Beating FURIA would give them a place in the six-team playoff stage and one of their biggest international results of the year.
BLAST Open Porto 2026 runs from August 26 to September 6 and features 16 teams competing for $1.1 million.
The group stage is being played in Copenhagen, with the six surviving teams moving on to the Super Bock Arena in Porto for the playoffs from September 4-6.
The tournament champion will receive $150,000 in direct prize money, with additional club-share payments distributed separately.
Group A is now beginning to take shape. Spirit have already secured their ticket to Porto, while G2 must continue through the lower bracket. NAVI and paiN are facing elimination, and M80 versus FURIA will decide the group’s next confirmed playoff participant.
