BESTIA and Fluxo Close on paiN in Americas VRS After Circuit X Curitiba

BESTIA and Fluxo have significantly tightened the Americas race for the PGL Singapore Major after strong runs at Circuit X Curitiba Season 3, with both teams moving to joint-tenth in the regional Valve Regional Standings.

The two teams sit only 14 Valve Ranking System points outside the current Major qualification zone following the conclusion of the Curitiba LAN, while paiN’s quarter-final exit left the Brazilian side with little additional breathing room.

BESTIA made the largest move of the event, earning 204 VRS points by winning the tournament. Fluxo added 99 points after finishing third, while paiN gained only 14 after being eliminated by Fluxo in the quarter-finals.

Quick Summary

Detail	Status
Event	Circuit X Curitiba Season 3
Dates	September 16–20, 2026
Location	Curitiba, Brazil
Format	LAN; GSL groups and single-elimination playoffs
Champion	BESTIA
Runner-up	Bounty Hunters
Third place	Fluxo
paiN finish	5th–8th
BESTIA VRS gain	+204 points
Fluxo VRS gain	+99 points
paiN VRS gain	+14 points
BESTIA/Fluxo position	Joint-10th in Americas VRS
Gap to Major qualification zone	14 points
PGL Singapore Major VRS cutoff	November 2, 2026
Confirmation status	Confirmed

Circuit X Curitiba featured 13 teams and a $20,000 prize pool. BESTIA collected $11,200 for first place, Bounty Hunters earned $4,800 as runners-up, Fluxo received $2,800 for third, and ShindeN took $1,200 for fourth.

What Happened at Circuit X Curitiba?

The biggest consequence of Circuit X Curitiba was not simply BESTIA lifting the trophy. The tournament compressed an already important section of the Americas VRS table.

BESTIA entered the event on 939 points in the event-specific VRS calculation and gained 204 through their championship run, reaching 1,143. Fluxo moved from 1,044 to the same 1,143 total after adding 99 points.

paiN started higher at 1,144 but earned only 14 points, reaching 1,158 in the event calculation. HLTV subsequently reported BESTIA and Fluxo as joint-tenth in the Americas VRS and only 14 points outside the Singapore Major qualification zone. Rankings can continue to move as other ranked events conclude, so these figures should be treated as a post-Curitiba snapshot rather than a permanent table.

The contrast between the three teams came directly from their results in Curitiba.

BESTIA recovered from an early group-stage defeat to Galorys and won every remaining series, including playoff victories over Imperial, ShindeN, and Bounty Hunters.

Fluxo had a less straightforward route but produced arguably the most important upset for the Major race when they defeated paiN 2-1 in the quarter-finals. They later lost to Bounty Hunters before defeating ShindeN 2-0 in the third-place match.

For paiN, the tournament became another missed opportunity to create separation from the teams immediately behind them.

BESTIA Turn a New Lineup Into an Immediate LAN Trophy

Circuit X Curitiba was BESTIA’s first LAN since André “drop” Abreu and Kaue “kauez” Kaschuk joined the starting lineup.

Their new five-man roster consists of:

Player	Status
André “drop” Abreu	Starter
Kaue “kauez” Kaschuk	Starter
Cássio “cass1n” Santos	Starter
Nicolás “buda” Kramer	Starter
Cristhian “timo” Perez	Starter
Gustavo “tge” Motta	Coach

BESTIA lost only once during the tournament, falling 0-2 to Galorys in the group stage. They then recovered to eliminate CLANSBR, Imperial and ShindeN before beating Bounty Hunters 2-0 in the grand final.

The final was a best-of-three LAN series. Bounty Hunters selected Cache, BESTIA picked Mirage, and Ancient would have been the deciding map had it been required. BESTIA closed the series in two maps.

drop was also named the tournament MVP by Dust2 Brasil, giving the former MIBR player an immediate individual achievement with his new lineup.

That result is particularly valuable because BESTIA entered Curitiba considerably behind the teams they are now chasing. The event-specific VRS table shows them gaining 204 points — more than double Fluxo’s 99-point increase and far above paiN’s 14.

BESTIA and Fluxo Put paiN Under VRS Pressure

The significance of the event becomes clearer when the VRS changes are compared directly.

Team	Pre-event points	Event change	Post-event points*	Circuit X finish
paiN	1,144	+14	1,158	5th–8th
Fluxo	1,044	+99	1,143	3rd
BESTIA	939	+204	1,143	1st
Imperial	1,048	+71	1,119	5th–8th
ShindeN	926	+126	1,052	4th
Bounty Hunters	830	+163	993	2nd

*Post-event figures shown by HLTV's Circuit X Curitiba VRS calculation. VRS positions and point totals can change as other ranked events are completed.

BESTIA therefore erased a substantial portion of their deficit in one tournament.

Fluxo’s gain was smaller, but their path had an additional strategic consequence: their quarter-final victory directly limited paiN’s opportunity to accumulate points at the same event.

That combination — BESTIA maximizing their tournament and Fluxo eliminating paiN — transformed the race immediately behind the current Americas qualification line.

Circuit X Curitiba Timeline

Date	Development	VRS significance
Sep. 16, 2026	Circuit X Curitiba begins	Ranked LAN opens
Sep. 17	BESTIA beat CLANSBR 2-0	BESTIA begin winning run
Sep. 17	Fluxo lose 1-2 to ShindeN	Fluxo fall into group decider
Sep. 17	Fluxo beat EHISTO BASE 2-0	Fluxo reach playoffs
Sep. 18	BESTIA lose 0-2 to Galorys	BESTIA’s only loss of event
Sep. 18	BESTIA beat CLANSBR 2-0	BESTIA survive group stage
Sep. 18	Fluxo beat paiN 2-1	paiN eliminated in quarter-finals
Sep. 19	BESTIA beat Imperial 2-1	BESTIA reach semi-final
Sep. 19	BESTIA beat ShindeN 2-0	BESTIA reach grand final
Sep. 19	Fluxo lose 0-2 to Bounty Hunters	Fluxo move to third-place match
Sep. 20	Fluxo beat ShindeN 2-0	Fluxo secure third
Sep. 20	BESTIA beat Bounty Hunters 2-0	BESTIA win championship
Sep. 21	Updated VRS picture reported	BESTIA and Fluxo sit joint-10th in Americas

BESTIA’s complete Curitiba run consisted of five victories and one defeat. Fluxo, meanwhile, recovered from their group-stage loss to ShindeN and later avenged it in the third-place decider.

Why the Result Matters for the Singapore Major

PGL Singapore Major qualification is tied to the Valve Regional Standings, making every eligible event before the cutoff potentially important.

PGL has set the relevant VRS cutoff for November 2, 2026. The Major has nine total slots allocated to the Americas: six entering Stage 1, one entering Stage 2 and two entering Stage 3.

That makes the fight around the ninth position particularly significant.

After Curitiba, HLTV reported BESTIA and Fluxo just 14 points outside the qualification zone. The margin is small enough that upcoming ranked results could change the order again, although VRS movement depends on more than simply winning a single match.

The ranking race therefore remains dynamic rather than being a straightforward points chase.

Tournament impact

Circuit X Curitiba created three important outcomes.

First, BESTIA converted the title into the largest VRS gain among the leading teams at the event.

Second, Fluxo’s direct victory over paiN prevented the higher-ranked Brazilian team from making a deeper playoff run.

Third, several other South American teams also collected meaningful points. Imperial gained 71, ShindeN added 126 and Bounty Hunters earned 163 according to the event calculation.

The result is a more compressed regional race heading into the final stretch before the November cutoff.

Fluxo Remain in the Hunt After Third Place

Fluxo’s Curitiba campaign was uneven but valuable.

Their current lineup is:

Player	Status
Raphael “exit” Lacerda	Starter
David “dav1deuS” Tapia Maldonado	Starter
Romeu “zevy” Rocco	Starter
Kayke “kye” Bertolucci	Starter
João “Ltz” Bonetti	Starter
Gustavo “Juve” Alexandre	Coach

HLTV lists exit, dav1deuS, zevy, kye and Ltz as Fluxo’s current five-man lineup.

Their most consequential Curitiba result came against paiN.

After finishing second behind ShindeN in Group C, Fluxo defeated paiN 2-1 in the quarter-finals. Bounty Hunters stopped them in the semi-final, but Fluxo closed the tournament by beating ShindeN 2-0 for third place.

That produced a 99-point event gain and kept Fluxo level with BESTIA in the post-event calculation.

paiN’s Margin Shrinks

paiN remain one of the most established Brazilian teams in the race, but their recent results have made their position more vulnerable.

Their current lineup consists of:

Player	Status
Rodrigo “biguzera” Bittencourt	Starter
Rafael “saffee” Costa	Starter
João “snow” Vinicius	Starter
Lucas “Tatu” Santana	Starter
Rickson “Rkzinho” Ribeiro Dias	Starter
Henrique “rikz” Waku	Coach

HLTV lists that five-player lineup and rikz as coach.

Curitiba continued a difficult stretch in which paiN have struggled to convert opportunities into deep tournament runs. HLTV’s current results page shows losses during recent appearances at events including IEM Beijing’s closed qualifier and BLAST Open Porto before the Circuit X quarter-final defeat.

That context matters because the VRS race is comparative. paiN do not simply need points; their position also depends on how quickly nearby teams accumulate them.

Tactical and Roster Impact

From a roster-building perspective, BESTIA’s result offers an encouraging first LAN data point for the drop-kauez version of the team.

Both players had joined the active roster only shortly before Circuit X Curitiba, meaning the championship arrived before the lineup had accumulated a large LAN sample together. BESTIA’s HLTV team page lists drop and kauez as the newest members of the starting five.

It would be premature to treat one tournament as proof that the roster has solved its long-term tactical questions. The level of opposition and a larger international sample will provide a stronger test.

Their next event should therefore be particularly informative.

Fluxo’s situation is different. Their Curitiba run demonstrated that they can beat a direct regional rival in paiN, but the semi-final defeat to Bounty Hunters prevented them from maximizing the opportunity.

For both teams, consistency across upcoming ranked events matters more than one isolated spike.

Historical Context

The Major race is familiar territory for both organizations.

Fluxo have appeared at multiple Majors, including Stage 1 of the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 and StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, according to HLTV’s team records.

BESTIA, meanwhile, have previously been involved in late VRS battles for Major qualification. Their current Curitiba title therefore represents more than a standalone regional trophy: it gives the organization another opportunity to convert strong regional results into a Major berth.

For paiN, the immediate challenge is defending a position they had previously established above both teams.

What Changes Now?

The practical consequence is that paiN have substantially less room for poor finishes.

BESTIA and Fluxo are no longer separated from the qualification line by a large VRS gap. HLTV’s post-event report places both teams only 14 points outside the current zone.

That does not mean either team automatically moves into qualification range with one more victory. Valve ranking changes are influenced by the ranking system and the competitive context of results.

What Curitiba has changed is the margin.

A race that previously gave paiN more separation now has BESTIA and Fluxo immediately behind the cutoff, with additional ranked tournaments still to be played before November 2.

What to Watch Next

BESTIA’s next confirmed challenge is iBUYPOWER Masters FML 2026 in the United States. HLTV lists the tournament for September 25–27, with BESTIA scheduled to face M80 on September 25.

That event is especially important because M80 are another relevant Americas team, giving BESTIA an opportunity to test their new roster against stronger regional competition outside Brazil.

Fluxo are expected to continue their campaign internationally at LEON.bet Masters Season 1 in Portugal, according to HLTV’s post-Curitiba report. Exact match details should be treated as TBD until confirmed on the event schedule.

paiN will return to competition sooner. Their next listed event is FERJEE In House Season 2, running September 23–27, with their first listed match against Turma do Pagode on September 23.

The different schedules create an important next phase of the race: paiN have an immediate chance to rebuild their margin domestically, while BESTIA and Fluxo will seek ranking value through their upcoming events.

Related Teams, Players and Events

BESTIA: drop, kauez, cass1n, buda, timo and coach tge.

Fluxo: exit, dav1deuS, zevy, kye, Ltz and coach Juve.

paiN: biguzera, saffee, snow, Tatu, Rkzinho and coach rikz.

Other relevant Circuit X teams: Bounty Hunters, ShindeN, Imperial, Galorys and CLANSBR.

Related events: Circuit X Curitiba Season 3, FERJEE In House Season 2, iBUYPOWER Masters FML 2026, LEON.bet Masters Season 1 and PGL Singapore Major 2026.

FAQ

Where are BESTIA and Fluxo in the Americas VRS after Circuit X Curitiba?

HLTV reported BESTIA and Fluxo as joint-tenth in the Americas Valve Regional Standings following Circuit X Curitiba, only 14 points outside the current PGL Singapore Major qualification zone.

How many VRS points did BESTIA gain at Circuit X Curitiba?

BESTIA gained 204 points in HLTV’s event VRS calculation, moving from 939 to 1,143 after winning the tournament.

How many VRS points did Fluxo gain?

Fluxo added 99 points, moving from 1,044 to 1,143 in the event calculation after finishing third.

What happened to paiN at Circuit X Curitiba?

paiN were eliminated by Fluxo 2-1 in the quarter-finals and finished 5th–8th. Their event VRS gain was 14 points.

When is the PGL Singapore Major VRS cutoff?

The VRS cutoff for qualification is November 2, 2026. The Americas have nine total Major slots across the three stages.