FUT eliminate Inner Circle as dem0n takes over at BLAST Open Porto 2026

FUT kept their BLAST Open Porto 2026 run alive with a convincing 2-0 victory over Inner Circle, ending the Ukrainian side’s tournament while moving one win away from the playoffs.

Dmytro “dem0n” Myroshnychenko was comfortably the biggest difference-maker in the Group B lower-bracket semi-final. The 18-year-old finished the series with 45 kills against just 17 deaths, 102.7 ADR and a 2.02 HLTV Rating 3.0 as FUT won Mirage 13-9 before closing the series 13-6 on Nuke.

The second map carried extra significance for FUT. Nuke was Inner Circle’s pick, but FUT entered the series having lost nine consecutive official maps on it, a run stretching back to April 11. Instead of exposing FUT’s weakness, Inner Circle fell 0-8 behind and never recovered.

The result guarantees FUT at least a top-eight finish at the event and sends them into the Group B lower-bracket final, where a playoff place will be on the line. Inner Circle, meanwhile, are eliminated after a tournament that began with an upset victory over Vitality but ended with consecutive defeats to MOUZ and FUT.

Quick Summary

Detail	Information
Tournament	BLAST Open Porto 2026
Match	Inner Circle vs FUT
Result	FUT won 2-0
Maps	Mirage 13-9, Nuke 13-6
Stage	Group B lower-bracket semi-final
Standout player	dem0n — 45-17, 102.7 ADR, 2.02 rating
Main storyline	FUT eliminated Inner Circle while ending a nine-map losing streak on Nuke

 

What Happened?

FUT arrived in the elimination match with far more pressure than their recent results might suggest.

The team had finished runner-up to Spirit at the Esports World Cup only a week earlier, but its BLAST Open campaign started with a 0-2 defeat to Legacy. A 2-1 victory over Lynn Vision kept FUT alive and set up the meeting with Inner Circle. FUT entered the series ranked No. 6 in HLTV’s world ranking, while Inner Circle sat at No. 34.

Inner Circle’s route had been almost the opposite. Their opening 2-0 upset of Vitality was one of the biggest results of the group stage, but they were unable to build on it. MOUZ swept them in their following match, leaving Inner Circle with another difficult opponent in the lower bracket.

On Mirage, the two teams were still level at 6-6 after the opening half. That was where the contest stopped being balanced.

FUT took seven of the next ten rounds to close their own map pick 13-9, with dem0n producing the performance that shaped the rest of the series. He recorded a 1.81 rating on Mirage and repeatedly created openings for FUT before Inner Circle could settle into their defensive setups.

Nuke looked, at least on paper, like Inner Circle’s best route back into the match.

They had deliberately picked a map on which FUT had lost nine times in a row. Instead, FUT dominated from the opening round. Their CT side raced into an 8-0 lead, with dem0n surviving every round during that sequence, and FUT reached halftime 9-3 ahead. Winning both pistol rounds removed much of the opportunity for Inner Circle to generate an economic comeback.

FUT eventually completed the map 13-6 and the series 2-0.

Mirage — FUT win 13-9

Mirage was FUT’s selection after they removed Dust2 and Inner Circle took Ancient out of the veto. The first half provided the most competitive stretch of the series, ending 6-6.

FUT were much sharper after the switch.

dem0n led the way with 23 kills, 110.6 ADR and a 1.81 rating. Krabeni also supplied consistent support with 20 kills and a 1.29 rating, giving FUT enough individual pressure to prevent Inner Circle from turning their good early positions into a sustained run of rounds.

headtr1ck was Inner Circle’s best performer on the map, finishing 17-13 with a 1.25 rating, but the rest of the lineup struggled to match FUT’s output during the closing stages.

Once FUT found control after halftime, Inner Circle managed only three more rounds.

Nuke — FUT win 13-6

Nuke was supposed to be the opportunity Inner Circle needed.

FUT’s nine-map losing streak made the pick understandable, but Inner Circle immediately found themselves dealing with a far more composed defensive side than the recent results suggested.

FUT opened 8-0 and took a 9-3 advantage into halftime. dem0n remained untouched through the opening eight rounds, while Inner Circle’s cptkurtka023 — one of the leading figures in their victory over Vitality — started 0-9 in opening duels.

The pistol rounds were another decisive factor. FUT won both, limiting Inner Circle’s chances to put together sustained economic pressure and allowing coolio’s team to avoid exposing their previously problematic Nuke offense for long.

FUT closed the map 13-6 to end a losing streak on Nuke that had lasted since April.

For a team whose map pool will become increasingly important deeper into top-level events, simply proving that opponents cannot automatically target Nuke is a useful development — even if one convincing victory is not enough to declare the problem solved.

Why This Match Matters

FUT came into BLAST Open Porto as one of the highest-ranked teams in attendance and only days removed from reaching the Esports World Cup grand final.

Their opening loss to Legacy therefore left little margin for another mistake.

Beating Lynn Vision kept them alive; eliminating Inner Circle moved them into the final qualifying match from Group B. The tournament uses double-elimination groups, with each group’s winner advancing directly to a playoff semi-final and the second- and third-placed teams moving into the quarter-finals.

For Inner Circle, the exit leaves a more complicated assessment.

Defeating Vitality demonstrated the upset potential of the Ukrainian lineup, but the follow-up results were far less competitive. Their losses to MOUZ and FUT came without reaching double figures on any of the four maps they lost across those two series.

The Vitality result was significant, but maintaining that level against several elite opponents in the same event proved a much harder challenge.

Head-to-Head Context

FUT already held the upper hand in the recent matchup before this series.

Their previous LAN meeting came at PGL Bucharest 2026 on April 4, where FUT recovered from losing Dust2 9-13 to win Mirage 13-6 and Ancient 13-3 for a 2-1 series victory.

The teams also met several times in late 2025, with FUT winning the majority of their individual map encounters.

That history should not be treated as a perfect comparison, however. FUT’s lineup has changed since Bucharest, with xfl0ud joining the active five in July in place of lauNX. The current roster consists of xfl0ud, dem0n, Krabeni, cmtry and dziugss under coach coolio.

The Porto result is therefore more relevant to the teams’ current level than their older meetings.

Key Players

dem0n — FUT

There was no close contest for player of the series.

dem0n went 45-17 across the two maps while averaging 102.7 damage per round and surviving or contributing to 90.2% of rounds. His 2.02 series rating was substantially higher than anyone else in the server.

His Mirage performance gave FUT control of the series, and his flawless survival through the opening 8-0 run on Nuke effectively prevented Inner Circle from generating early momentum on their own pick.

Krabeni — FUT

Krabeni provided the strongest secondary performance on Mirage, recording 20 kills and an 86.3 ADR while FUT pulled away after halftime.

With dem0n taking most of the headlines, that supporting output helped ensure FUT did not become dependent on a single player to convert rounds.

headtr1ck — Inner Circle

headtr1ck was Inner Circle’s best player in the series statistically, finishing 28-27 with a 0.99 rating despite the 0-2 defeat.

His 17-13 performance on Mirage helped keep the first map competitive through the opening half, but Inner Circle did not have enough production elsewhere once FUT accelerated.

cptkurtka023 — Inner Circle

cptkurtka023 had been one of the central figures in Inner Circle’s upset over Vitality, making his difficult Nuke particularly costly.

His 0-9 start in opening duels reflected how rarely Inner Circle were able to establish the first advantage during FUT’s dominant defensive opening.

Interesting Facts and Context

• FUT entered the match on a nine-map losing streak on Nuke, dating back to April 11.
• Nuke was Inner Circle’s own map pick, while FUT selected Mirage.
• dem0n finished the series 45-17 with a 2.02 rating and 102.7 ADR.
• Inner Circle began the tournament by defeating Vitality 2-0, but then lost consecutive series to MOUZ and FUT.
• FUT are currently ranked No. 6 by HLTV, compared with Inner Circle at No. 34.
• The teams’ previous LAN series at PGL Bucharest 2026 also went FUT’s way, 2-1.

What Comes Next?

FUT advance to the Group B lower-bracket final on August 31, where they will face the winner of Vitality vs Legacy.

The match is scheduled for 18:30 and carries a straightforward consequence: the winner qualifies for the BLAST Open Porto playoffs, while the loser is eliminated.

MOUZ and Falcons are already contesting the Group B upper-bracket final, with the winner earning direct passage to the playoff semi-finals and the loser entering the quarter-finals.

For FUT, one more BO3 victory is therefore required to convert their lower-bracket recovery into a place on the Porto stage.

Inner Circle’s campaign ends after three series. Their win over Vitality remains the standout result, but the subsequent losses to MOUZ and FUT showed the consistency gap they still need to close against teams around the top of the international rankings.

FAQ

Who won Inner Circle vs FUT?

FUT defeated Inner Circle 2-0 in the Group B lower-bracket semi-final at BLAST Open Porto 2026.

What were the map scores?

FUT won Mirage 13-9 and Nuke 13-6.

Who was the standout player?

dem0n was the clear standout, finishing with 45 kills, 17 deaths, 102.7 ADR and a 2.02 HLTV Rating 3.0.

Why was FUT winning Nuke significant?

FUT had lost nine consecutive Nuke maps before the series. Inner Circle picked the map, but FUT won it 13-6 after building a 9-3 CT-side lead.

Who do FUT play next?

FUT will face the winner of Vitality vs Legacy in the Group B lower-bracket final on August 31. The winner qualifies for the playoffs.