FURIA Edge Past paiN in Hong Kong to Secure BLAST Rivals Playoff Spot

FURIA extended their impressive run of form in Hong Kong — but not without a scare. The Brazilian front-runners had to battle from behind to defeat regional rivals paiN, taking the BLAST Rivals Season 2 Group B opener 2–1 after trading maps on Nuke, Overpass, and Mirage (7–13, 13–6, 13–11). The victory sends FURIA into the playoffs from the upper bracket, while paiN drop to the lower bracket of the eight-team tournament at the AsiaWorld–Arena.

Map-by-Map Breakdown: From Nuke Setback to Mirage Recovery

Nuke – paiN exploit FURIA’s rust (13–7 paiN)

paiN began the series on the front foot, capitalizing on FURIA’s lack of recent practice on Nuke. Even Danil “molodoy” Golubenko’s impressive 1v4 clutch couldn’t halt paiN’s momentum. The map highlighted clear gaps in FURIA’s preparation, especially after not playing Nuke during their IEM Chengdu championship run.

Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis admitted afterward that the team wasn’t fully up to speed on the map, noting that their lack of recent officials on Nuke showed in the details.

Overpass – FURIA regain control (13–6 FURIA)

Overpass told a completely different story. After a scrappy start marked by force-buy skirmishes and a nearly thrown 4v2, FURIA tightened their CT setups and took over the game. Their defensive structure — a focal point of their improvement throughout the season — allowed them to comfortably level the series.

Mirage – yuurih leads a clutch comeback (13–11 FURIA)

With paiN up 10–7 on the decider, FURIA were staring down a potential upset. That’s when Yuri “yuurih” Santos shifted into high gear, delivering a string of impact rounds to swing the map back in FURIA’s favor. Finishing the series with a 1.45 rating and more than 95 ADR, he became the defining factor in FURIA’s narrow 13–11 victory.

Reactions: “Everyone Is Super Motivated to Beat Us”

After the win, YEKINDAR reflected on the pressure that comes with being one of the world’s top teams, saying:

“Everyone is super motivated to beat us.”

He acknowledged that the team may have entered the series “too relaxed,” and suggested that the early setback served as a valuable reminder not to underestimate opponents.

YEKINDAR has spoken throughout the year about the dangers of overconfidence, explaining that after their early-season success — including winning FISSURE Playground 2 — the lineup went through a phase where they felt untouchable, only to be quickly humbled during ESL Pro League. That experience led to a significant rebuild of their CT approach.

Tournament Landscape: Final Stop Before the Budapest Major

BLAST Rivals Season 2 is the last major international event before the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025. The $350,000 competition features eight teams:

Invited: Vitality, FURIA, The MongolZ, Spirit

Wildcards: paiN, TYLOO, Falcons, Passion UA

With FURIA entering the tournament as world #2 and fresh IEM Chengdu champions, Group B was expected to be their playground — shared with Vitality, paiN, and TYLOO. The win over paiN keeps them on course for a potential rematch with Vitality later in the group stage.

paiN, meanwhile, must now survive the lower bracket to stay in contention for the playoffs.

FURIA’s 2025 Surge: A Historic Run

This victory adds to what is shaping up to be FURIA’s best-ever year. Since incorporating YEKINDAR and molodoy, the team has collected multiple titles:

FISSURE Playground 2 – Their first trophy with the revamped lineup.

Thunderpick World Championship 2025 – A dramatic reverse sweep over NAVI in the grand final.

IEM Chengdu 2025 – A breakthrough Tier 1 title earned with a dominant 3–0 victory against Vitality.

Their Chengdu success was widely described as the organization’s biggest achievement to date, marking the moment FURIA proved they could beat the absolute elite.

Molodoy earned his second MVP award at Chengdu, making him a frontrunner for Rookie of the Year — though he insists his focus is on championships first.

Inside FURIA: sidde, YEKINDAR, and molodoy on the Team’s Evolution

Head coach Sid “sidde” Macedo has emphasized that the team’s ambitions stretch far beyond a short-lived hot streak:

“What we want to achieve as a team is a lot bigger than winning two or three tournaments.”

At BLAST Rivals media day, sidde explained that the roster functions on clarity of roles, improved firepower, and a dual-leadership system: FalleN and YEKINDAR serving as two strategic “brains” guiding their approach — especially on CT sides.

Molodoy, the rising star, has often pointed to FalleN and YEKINDAR as mentors who helped him transition into top-tier play, especially on maps like Overpass.
At the same time, YEKINDAR has been candid about keeping the rookie grounded, noting that molodoy initially became “too confident” after early victories — something the team worked hard to correct.

paiN’s Perspective: From Major Breakthrough to Rebuilding

This matchup marks another chapter in Brazil’s most compelling rivalry of 2025. Earlier this year, paiN famously eliminated FURIA in the BLAST.tv Austin Major quarter-finals before reaching the semi-finals.

Though FURIA have won the majority of their head-to-head meetings, paiN have shown they can consistently challenge — and occasionally upset — their domestic rivals on the biggest stages.

IGL Rodrigo “biguzera” Bittencourt recently reflected on paiN’s post-Major struggles, admitting the team faced intense pressure and struggled to maintain their level afterward, comparing their journey to climbing a mountain: every setback means climbing even more to return to the peak.

Hong Kong showcased that duality: while paiN can exploit weaknesses like FURIA’s Nuke, FURIA currently possess greater depth and resilience when maps go down to the wire.

Why This Win Matters for the Major Race

This narrow victory reinforces several key narratives as teams prepare for the Budapest Major:

FURIA can win even when not at their best, relying on clutch moments and structure.

Nuke remains a vulnerable point in their map pool.

Brazil has two legitimate international forces in FURIA and paiN — one a title contender, the other a dangerous spoiler with proven Major playoff pedigree.

For FURIA, Hong Kong represents a chance to build a mini-era before the Major.
For paiN, it’s an opportunity to show that their Austin breakthrough was the beginning of a sustained rise, not a one-off miracle.