Krabeni insists FUT’s BLAST Rivals setback will not derail their momentum

Krabeni insists FUT’s BLAST Rivals setback will not derail their momentum

FUT captain Aulon “Krabeni” Fazlija says the team never treated their short BLAST Rivals 2026 Season 1 run as a real measure of their level, arguing that the lineup arrived in Fort Worth without one of its key players and therefore had “nothing to lose.” The international squad entered the event shortly after winning PGL Bucharest 2026, their first notable LAN trophy, but were forced to compete without Laurențiu “lauNX” Țârlea, who missed the tournament because of health issues. Head coach András “coolio” Fercsák stood in for him. 

The context around FUT’s form makes the situation more understandable. Before BLAST Rivals, the team had been one of the biggest risers of 2026. At ESL Pro League Season 23, they reached fourth place, and at PGL Bucharest they went all the way, beating Astralis 3-1 in the best-of-five final. FUT won Ancient 13-5, Mirage 13-5 and Dust2 13-3, dropping only Nuke in overtime, while also completing a clean 3-0 group-stage run and playoff wins over B8 and The MongolZ.

That momentum was interrupted when lauNX became unavailable for BLAST Rivals. HLTV reported before the event that coolio would replace him, with FUT drawn into Group A alongside Vitality, Astralis and G2. The absence was significant not only because lauNX is part of the starting five, but because Krabeni described him as a player who creates space on the T side — a role that was difficult for the coach to reproduce. 

Despite the stand-in situation, FUT were not simply blown away in Texas. Against world No.1 Vitality, they lost 2-1 but took Dust2, ending Vitality’s 17-match winning streak on the map. They also nearly completed a comeback from 11-1 down on Nuke before losing in regulation. Vitality coach Rémy “XTQZZZ” Quoniam was openly unhappy with his team’s performance, saying they had played badly and lacked discipline. 

FUT’s tournament ended the next day with a 0-2 loss to Astralis in the lower bracket. HLTV noted that the team’s lack of aggressive presence without lauNX was especially visible on T sides, where FUT finished the event with only a 33% opening-kill rate across five maps against Vitality and Astralis. Astralis won Mirage 13-5 and Nuke 13-10, sending FUT out in last place. 

Krabeni, however, does not believe that result damaged the team’s confidence. He explained that once lauNX’s diagnosis became clear, FUT understood that BLAST Rivals had to be viewed differently. In his words, even finishing last was not a disaster, because the team were missing their “star player” and had already adjusted expectations before the event. He said that one win would have been enough under those circumstances, and that the team were not devastated by the losses. 

The mood changed again at IEM Atlanta, where lauNX returned to the lineup. FUT opened the event with a 2-0 victory over NRG, but the win was not straightforward. On Ancient, they recovered from a 3-10 deficit and won 16-13, then closed the series on Overpass 13-9. Krabeni admitted that the team had barely practiced with lauNX before the match, saying they had only played two practice games the day before. 

That lack of preparation showed in parts of the NRG series. Krabeni pointed to missed timings, poor coordination and the fact that the players had not had much Counter-Strike time together in the previous weeks. Still, he viewed the match as useful preparation, especially after a period in which the team had been split up and unable to play normally. 

Looking ahead, FUT’s goals remain ambitious. Krabeni said the official team target at IEM Atlanta is to reach the playoffs, but personally he always wants to win. FUT’s next challenge is paiN, who entered that matchup after beating FaZe. Krabeni said he enjoys facing teams from other regions and expects a strong match. 

The team will also approach the upcoming IEM Cologne Major without a bootcamp. According to Krabeni, FUT decided against it because they had already spent a long period away from home earlier in the season, including an extended bootcamp before ESL Pro League. Instead, they plan to take some days off and practice from home. 

Overall, FUT’s recent run looks less like a collapse and more like a team trying to stabilize after an unusual interruption. Their Bucharest title proved their ceiling, BLAST Rivals exposed how much they rely on lauNX’s presence, and the NRG win showed that they can still recover under pressure even with limited practice. For Krabeni, the key point is simple: Fort Worth was an exception, not a warning sign.