cmtry after EWC 2026 final loss: “I missed a lot of important shots”

Mykyta “cmtry” Samolotov did not look for an easy explanation after FUT’s Esports World Cup 2026 grand-final defeat. The 18-year-old AWPer pointed first at his own performance, admitting that missed shots and the pressure of the occasion made it harder for FUT to convert their opportunities against Spirit.

FUT lost the best-of-five final 1-3 at Paris’ Accor Arena after taking Cache 13-10 and then pushing both Anubis and Ancient into overtime. Spirit survived those two close maps before running away with Nuke 13-5 to secure the EWC 2026 title. cmtry finished the series with 50 kills, a 0.78 Rating 3.0 and 51.3 ADR.

For a player who had already produced one of the strongest tournaments of his career earlier in 2026 — winning the HLTV MVP award when FUT lifted the PGL Bucharest trophy — the final was an unusually difficult night. Rather than separating his struggles from the result, cmtry connected the two.

Quick Context

Detail	Information
Player	Mykyta “cmtry” Samolotov
Team	FUT Esports
Role	AWPer
Event	Esports World Cup 2026
Match	Grand Final vs. Spirit
Result	FUT 1-3 Spirit
Maps	Cache 13-10, Anubis 13-16, Ancient 14-16, Nuke 5-13
Main storyline	FUT struggled to convert late-round advantages as cmtry battled individual form and pressure
Next match	vs. Legacy at BLAST Open Porto 2026 on August 27

cmtry is listed as an AWPer by Liquipedia and remains part of FUT’s current five alongside Dmytro “dem0n” Myroshnychenko, Aulon “Krabeni” Fazlija, Džiugas “dziugss” Steponavičius and Yasin “xfl0ud” Koç.

Why cmtry’s comments matter

FUT were much closer to forcing a longer final than the 3-1 scoreline suggests.

After winning Cache, they recovered from an 11-5 deficit on Anubis to reach overtime. On Ancient, FUT moved ahead 12-9 and again found themselves within touching distance of the map before Spirit recovered. dem0n even came within a single bullet of completing a 1v3 that could have ended Ancient before overtime.

Those were exactly the moments cmtry returned to in his post-match assessment.

He explained that FUT had opportunities to finish both Anubis and Ancient but failed to capitalize, with his own missed shots contributing to rounds slipping away. The AWPer attributed much of his difficult individual showing to pressure and said he never found his normal level during the final.

That assessment is supported by the numbers. cmtry's 0.78 rating was the lowest on FUT in the series, while Spirit star Danil “donk” Kryshkovets led the server with an 88-70 record and 1.36 rating.

“I missed a lot of important shots”

The most striking part of cmtry’s reaction was how little he tried to shift responsibility elsewhere.

His explanation was not built around the veto, Spirit’s preparation or a specific tactical mismatch. Instead, he focused on rounds FUT had already put themselves in position to win.

“I missed a lot of important shots,” cmtry admitted after the final.

For a primary AWPer, those misses can reshape a round instantly. An opening pick can stop an execute before it develops; one missed defensive shot can force a rotation or leave teammates dealing with a numbers disadvantage. In a series where Anubis and Ancient were decided only after regulation, the margin did not need to be large.

cmtry also highlighted lost advantages and 5v3 situations when discussing what FUT would find during their review. His conclusion was that the final contained fewer fundamental problems than the result might imply: FUT had created enough winning positions, but failed to finish too many of them.

Late-round communication turned into “chaos”

Individual aim was only one side of the problem.

cmtry described FUT’s communication during the most stressful late rounds with one word: “chaos.” He explained that the noise of the arena, nerves and several players trying to process information simultaneously made some clutch situations difficult to control. Spirit, in his view, handled those moments slightly better.

That difference became increasingly visible as the series progressed.

FUT had already shown they could fight back on Anubis, erasing most of Spirit’s 11-5 lead before overtime. Spirit then leaned on tN1R, whose eight kills across three overtime rounds restored their advantage and helped close the map 16-13.

Ancient was even harsher for FUT. dem0n and dziugss helped create a 12-9 advantage, but Spirit survived regulation and won another overtime, 16-14. The defeat also extended FUT’s losing streak on Ancient to nine maps.

By Nuke, the balance had shifted completely. Spirit built a 10-2 first-half lead on the T side and closed the championship map 13-5.

FUT still exceeded their own expectations

cmtry’s self-criticism did not turn into disappointment with FUT’s tournament as a whole.

He revealed that his personal expectation entering the event had been a quarter-final appearance at best. Instead, FUT reached their first Big Event grand final, beating magic 2-1 in the round of 16, sweeping MOUZ 2-0 in the quarter-finals and surviving FURIA 2-1 in the semi-finals.

The FURIA series was particularly significant for cmtry. He topped the scoreboard in FUT’s narrow semi-final victory and contributed important clutch play as the team reached a final of this level for the first time.

That helps put his grand-final performance into perspective. Two days separated an important individual contribution to FUT reaching the final from one of his weakest series of the tournament.

Even after Nuke had become one-sided, cmtry said FUT continued trying to keep one another engaged rather than mentally checking out of the match. His message after the defeat was simple: second place was already beyond what he had expected, and FUT “won’t stop.”

A difficult final does not erase cmtry’s 2026 breakthrough

The EWC final also sits in contrast with cmtry’s best performance of the season.

At PGL Bucharest 2026 in April, the Ukrainian AWPer helped FUT win the tournament and received his first HLTV MVP award. FUT defeated Astralis in the final, while cmtry finished the event at the top of a closely contested MVP race.

His role within FUT has never been limited to chasing raw AWP numbers. HLTV’s analysis after Bucharest highlighted his late-round impact and utility work, while noting that FUT’s riflers frequently carry a large part of the team's fragging output.

His form has cooled since then. As of August 25, HLTV lists cmtry with a 0.96 Rating 3.0 across the previous three months. His player profile nevertheless grades his sniping and clutching as two of his stronger statistical areas.

That makes Paris less a question of whether cmtry can perform at a high level and more a reminder of how volatile the AWPer position can become when confidence and timing disappear in a close final.

FUT’s new lineup has accelerated quickly

The EWC run also came shortly after FUT made their first significant roster adjustment of the summer.

xfl0ud joined from HEROIC on July 7 after FUT benched Laurențiu “lauNX” Țârlea, completing the current lineup of xfl0ud, dem0n, Krabeni, cmtry and dziugss under coach András “coolio” Fercsák.

Less than two months later, that five reached the EWC final.

The result has also translated into ranking progress. In Valve’s global ranking published on August 24, FUT climbed to No. 3 behind Spirit and Falcons, with the EWC champions occupying the No. 1 position.

For a team still adapting after a summer roster move, the question following Paris is no longer whether FUT can threaten elite opposition. It is whether they can make performances like their EWC run repeatable.

Head-to-head: FUT vs. Spirit

The EWC championship match was the first official meeting between the current FUT and Spirit lineups, meaning there was no recent head-to-head record that carried meaningful predictive value into the final.

Spirit therefore leave Paris with a 1-0 series advantage in the matchup, but even that result needs context. Three of the first four maps were competitive, and two required overtime before Spirit finally broke the series open on Nuke.

A rematch would be more useful for judging whether FUT can solve the late-round problems cmtry identified than treating one best-of-five as an established stylistic pattern.

Interesting Facts

• cmtry is 18 years old and has been part of FUT since August 2025 after previously representing NAVI’s academy system.
• He won his first HLTV MVP medal at PGL Bucharest 2026, where FUT also claimed the championship.
• FUT’s EWC appearance was the organization’s first Big Event grand final.
• FUT entered the EWC final undefeated in Paris after playoff victories over MOUZ and FURIA.
• Their Cache pick against Spirit was FUT’s first official appearance on the map with this lineup. They immediately won it 13-10.
• FUT rose to No. 3 in the August 24 Valve Global Ranking following their Paris run.

What comes next for FUT?

FUT will have little time to dwell on the final.

Their next scheduled match is against Legacy on August 27 in the Group B upper-bracket quarter-final of BLAST Open Porto 2026. It gives the team an immediate opportunity to see how well it can reset after the emotional and physical demands of a deep EWC run.

For cmtry specifically, the next step is straightforward. His Paris interview did not point to a role problem or demand major tactical changes. He identified pressure, missed shots and chaotic decision-making in crucial situations.

Those are painful problems when they happen in a grand final, but they are also concrete ones to review.

FUT have already shown they can reach the final day of an elite event. Porto will begin the process of finding out how quickly they can do it again.

FAQ

Who is cmtry?

Mykyta “cmtry” Samolotov is an 18-year-old Ukrainian AWPer who plays for FUT Esports. He previously competed in NAVI’s academy system before joining FUT in August 2025.

What did cmtry say after losing the EWC 2026 final?

cmtry took responsibility for several missed opportunities, explaining that pressure affected his individual level and that FUT struggled with communication during tense late-round situations.

What was the score of FUT vs. Spirit?

Spirit defeated FUT 3-1. FUT won Cache 13-10 before Spirit took Anubis 16-13, Ancient 16-14 and Nuke 13-5.

How did cmtry perform in the final?

cmtry recorded 50 kills and 65 deaths with 51.3 ADR, 75.0% KAST and a 0.78 Rating 3.0 across the four maps.

Who do FUT play next?

FUT are scheduled to face Legacy on August 27 in their opening match at BLAST Open Porto 2026.