FURIA survive Aurora to reach EPL S22 playoffs

FURIA survive Aurora to reach EPL S22 playoffs

FURIA secured their place in the ESL Pro League Season 22 playoffs after narrowly defeating Aurora in a best-of-three series (13-3 Inferno, 9-13 Mirage, 16-12 Overpass). 

With this result, FURIA continue their streak of playoff appearances — it marks their third in a row. In recent form, they reached the top four at BLAST Open London and claimed the FISSURE Playground 2 title in September. 

Meanwhile, Aurora are not eliminated just yet — their result pushes them into the 2–2 bracket of the Swiss stage, alongside teams like Natus Vincere, The MongolZ, and FaZe, who remain favorites for progress in Stage 2. 

Match recap & key performances

Map 1 (Inferno):

FURIA’s CT side proved dominant. Latvian rifler Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis spearheaded the pressure on Banana. Although YEKINDAR only won two of his first seven duels in CT, his aggressive presence forced Aurora away from the B site, contributing to a blowout 10-2 first-half. The second half saw FURIA remain relentless, closing the map 13-3. 

Map 2 (Mirage):

Aurora bounced back strongly, especially on their T side. They built a sizable lead and closed the map 13-9, showing resilience under pressure. 

Map 3 (Overpass):

Overpass was the decider — a close, tension-filled battle. FURIA led 8–4 in the first half, but Aurora fought back to 9–9. FURIA then edged ahead to match point at 12–10. Aurora forced overtime, but FURIA regained control in the extra rounds and sealed a 16–12 victory.

Overall, YEKINDAR was the standout performer: 62 kills, 48 deaths, +14 K/D differential, with an ADR of 104.9 and a 1.37 rating. 

Player insights & team dynamics

In a post-match interview, YEKINDAR reflected on the team’s mental state and internal challenges during the tournament:

“I’m super happy because we kinda overcame ourselves as well during this event,” he said.
“We had a little bit of a … well, you win an event and then you're thinking like, ‘Oh, you're the gods,’ and then you get settled down really fast.”

He also addressed internal tensions, particularly involving molodoy:

“Danil ‘molodoy’ Golubenko became overconfident after winning in Belgrade, and losses at EPL gave him a bit of a reality check.” 

Earlier, after FURIA’s recent events, YEKINDAR had commented on how momentum can affect morale, noting the difficulties in maintaining consistency after success. 

Broader context & implications

FURIA’s trajectory:

Their qualification consolidates their position among elite teams in ESL Pro League. Their success in prior events (BLAST Open London, FISSURE Playground 2) has built expectations. 

Aurora’s outlook:

Although they lost the series, Aurora still have life in the tournament via the 2–2 bracket. Their performance in Mirage showed they can respond under pressure — though their consistency on CT sides remains a question. 

The Swiss format & Stage 2 stakes:

In EPL S22, teams compete in a Swiss system during Stage 2. A 2–2 record forces teams into final matches to either secure playoff spots or be eliminated. 

Other related news:

A separate article on HLTV titled “YEKINDAR interview: molodoy’s overconfidence…” dives deeper into the team’s mental hurdles and evolving CT strategies.

In the same news archive, other notable stories include MOUZ also reaching EPL S22 playoffs over 3DMAX, and Vitality pulling off a comeback to qualify.