It’s 2026, and I’m still not over how the PGL CS2 Major Copenhagen 2024 Opening Stage turned into a three-team stampede. I know, I know—ancient history in esports years. But hear me out: Eternal Fire, paiN, and ECSTATIC all punched their tickets to the Elimination Stage after losing only one match apiece, and the chaos was chef’s kiss. With three spots still up for grabs back then, these squads could breathe easy while the rest of us stress-ate our weight in energy drinks.
Eternal Fire: Turkish Delight, Extra Spicy 🔥
I’ll be honest: when Eternal Fire opened with a 13-6 win over TheMongolz and a 13-2 demolition of paiN, I thought they were about to 3-0 the whole thing. They looked like a team that had mainlined espresso and decided to take it out on everyone’s economy. But HEROIC had other plans—specifically, an overtime win on Vertigo, Eternal Fire’s own map pick. Rude. Still, the Turkish superteam didn’t tilt. They came back against GamerLegion with a reverse-sweep special: lose Overpass 4-13, then win Inferno 13-2, then edge out Vertigo 13-11. That CT-side defense on the decider was tighter than my budget after buying a new CS2 skin. I’m not saying I cried, but my neighbor asked why I was yelling “forEF” at 2 a.m.
paiN: Brazilian Breeze, One Anubis-sized Pothole 🇧🇷
paiN’s run was like a smoothie with one surprise chili pepper. They brushed aside Apeks 13-8 and obliterated ENCE 13-3. Then Eternal Fire handed them a 2-13 beatdown on Anubis, which remains the map that makes South American fans reach for antacids. But SAW didn’t exploit that weakness. Instead, paiN took Vertigo 13-10 and Nuke 13-7, both looking like a walk in the park. I’ve seen less comfortable victories in bot lobbies. The Brazilian squad made history—grita, paiNzete—and I was here for it, even if my Portuguese begins and ends with “gg.”
ECSTATIC: The Danish Underdogs Who Stole the Script 🐶
If you had ECSTATIC in your Pick’Em, congratulations, you either have a time machine or a crystal ball made of pure luck. This Danish lineup had been floating around lower-tier CS2 for ages, and suddenly they were booking flights to the Elimination Stage. They lost a close one to Cloud9 10-13, then beat TheMongolz, Lynn Vision 13-8, and Imperial in a scrappy three-map series. Anubis 13-4, Inferno 10-13, Vertigo 13-9. Imperial nearly clawed back on Vertigo through their CT side, but ECSTATIC’s defense was already too set. I loved every second of it, mostly because seeing @zipelCS not pulling his hair out was a refreshing change from his default NPC animation during the RMRs.
The Numbers Don’t Lie (But They Do Snore) 📊
| Team | Opening Stage Record | Key Wins | Key Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eternal Fire | 3-1 | TheMongolz, paiN, GamerLegion | HEROIC |
| paiN | 3-1 | Apeks, ENCE, SAW | Eternal Fire |
| ECSTATIC | 3-1 | TheMongolz, Lynn Vision, Imperial | Cloud9 |
What I Learned in 2026 Looking Back
Majors are brutal. Some rise, some fall, and some just keep refreshing the bracket like it’s a stock ticker. Eternal Fire, paiN, and ECSTATIC proved that one loss doesn’t end your run—it just gives you a villain arc. In 2026, CS2 has more events, more roster moves, and more ways to lose your voice screaming at a monitor. But that Copenhagen Opening Stage remains a masterclass in resilience, map-pick chaos, and underdog nonsense.
So yeah, three more teams made it to the Elimination Stage. They earned it. And I’m still waiting for someone to explain to me why Anubis hates paiN so much. If you need me, I’ll be rewatching that GamerLegion vs. Eternal Fire Vertigo decider and pretending I’m not emotionally invested in a video game. 🤙
Check back for more CS2 news and guides—because in 2026, the only constant is a new roster shuffle every Tuesday.
Comments