KSCERATO masterclass sends FURIA into BLAST Open Porto playoffs

FURIA have secured a place in the BLAST Open Porto 2026 playoffs after defeating M80 2-0 in their Group B upper-bracket semifinal.

The Brazilian-majority lineup survived a difficult Cache opener before dominating Dust2, winning the series 16-13 and 13-5. Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato was the clear difference-maker, producing 50 kills across the two maps and finishing with a 1.86 HLTV Rating 3.0.

FURIA recover from 8-12 down on Cache

The opening map was far from straightforward.

M80 pushed FURIA into serious trouble on Cache and reached a 12-8 advantage, putting themselves one round away from map point. FURIA responded under pressure and forced overtime before eventually closing the map 16-13.

KSCERATO was exceptional throughout the comeback.

He finished Cache with 32 kills, 14 deaths, 99.9 ADR and a 1.86 rating. His impact was far ahead of the rest of the server, with YEKINDAR finishing as FURIA’s next-highest rated player on the map.

• M80 led Cache 12-8
• FURIA forced overtime and won 16-13
• KSCERATO recorded 32 kills on the opener
• The Brazilian finished Cache with a 1.86 rating

The comeback became the key turning point of the series. M80 had created the opportunity to take control, but FURIA’s ability to survive the closing regulation rounds completely changed the momentum.

KSCERATO jokes that a crosshair change made the difference

After Cache, KSCERATO gave a simple explanation for his individual level.

During the broadcast interview, he joked that he had changed his crosshair and planned to keep the new setup for Porto. The comment was light-hearted, but the numbers behind the performance were anything but ordinary.

KSCERATO finished the full series with 50 kills, only 23 deaths and a 1.86 rating, making him comfortably the highest-rated player in the match.

Player	K-D	ADR	Rating 3.0
KSCERATO	50-23	103.9	1.86
YEKINDAR	31-32	83.1	1.23
molodoy	36-27	74.3	1.03
Lake	39-37	86.8	1.22

KSCERATO also finished with an 89.4% KAST and a +7.73% round swing across the series.

Dust2 becomes much more comfortable

FURIA’s own map pick of Dust2 proved significantly easier.

Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo found an important 1v2 early in the map, helping FURIA establish control before KSCERATO once again began taking over individual rounds.

The Brazilian rifler was especially dominant on the T side. HLTV recorded him with a 2.27 T-side rating, five successful opening duels from five attempts and four multi-kill rounds.

M80 never found a reliable answer.

• FURIA won Dust2 13-5
• KSCERATO led the server again
• FalleN produced an early 1v2 clutch
• FURIA completed the series without needing a decider

The contrast with Cache was significant. Instead of needing a late comeback, FURIA controlled Dust2 from a much earlier stage and converted their advantage without giving M80 another opportunity to threaten the series.

M80 show promise despite the loss

M80’s defeat should not completely overshadow their performance on Cache.

Lake was the team’s strongest player across the series, finishing with 39 kills, 37 deaths and a 1.22 rating. slaxz- also ended above a 1.00 rating, but the remaining three players struggled to match FURIA’s output.

The larger problem was conversion.

M80 had FURIA at 12-8 on the opening map and were close to taking the lead in the best-of-three. Losing that advantage meant entering Dust2 without the momentum they had created.

Against a team with FURIA’s individual firepower, that proved costly.

FURIA book their place in Porto

The victory guarantees FURIA a place in the BLAST Open Porto playoffs.

They became the second team to secure qualification through the group stage, joining Spirit among the teams already confirmed for the final phase.

The playoffs will move the competition into the decisive stage in Portugal, where six teams will compete for the BLAST Open Porto title.

FURIA’s qualification also continues a strong period for the roster, although the Cache performance showed that there are still areas to clean up before facing stronger opposition on stage.

Assessment

FURIA’s 2-0 result looks comfortable on paper, but Cache tells a more complicated story.

M80 had a genuine chance to take the first map and force FURIA into a difficult series. The Brazilian side survived because KSCERATO produced one of the strongest individual performances of the tournament so far and repeatedly delivered when the margin for error disappeared.

Dust2 was much more convincing and showed what FURIA can look like when the entire structure is functioning.

The main positive is obvious: KSCERATO is entering the Porto playoffs in exceptional form. A 1.86 series rating against M80 is an enormous performance, and FURIA become considerably more dangerous when their long-time star reaches that level.

The next challenge will be maintaining it against the stronger teams waiting in the playoff bracket.