mo0N Reveals magic Trained Dust2 “The Whole Night” Before Stunning 9z at PGL Astana 2026

magic continued their unbelievable lower-bracket-style run at PGL Astana 2026 after eliminating 9z in the quarter-finals, with Kazakh AWPer Abdurakhim “mo0N” Issa revealing the team spent the entire night preparing for Dust2 before the match.

The victory sends magic into the semi-finals of one of the year’s biggest CS2 tournaments, where they will face tournament favorites Falcons in front of a home crowd in Kazakhstan.

magic Continue Cinderella Run at PGL Astana 2026

Coming into PGL Astana as one of the least experienced teams in the field, magic have become the breakout story of the event. The squad started the tournament with a disastrous 0-2 record after losses to The MongolZ and Monte, leaving them one defeat away from elimination.

Instead of collapsing, magic responded with consecutive victories over K27, HEROIC, and Gentle Mates, completing an improbable comeback to reach the playoffs. Their momentum continued in the arena stage with a 2-1 upset victory against 9z. 

The quarter-final win instantly became one of the biggest surprises of the tournament, especially considering 9z had already beaten top teams like MOUZ and Falcons during the group stage. 

mo0N Explains How magic Prepared for 9z’s Dust2 Pick

After the match, mo0N revealed that magic fully expected 9z to select Dust2 because the map had been one of the team’s weakest throughout the event.

“We knew they would pick Dust2 and we trained it the whole night,” mo0N told HLTV. 

According to the Kazakh sniper, the team’s preparation sessions lasted nearly all night, with coach Danila “eksiver” Yurkov and in-game leader Vitaliy “sFade8” Marushka barely sleeping while studying anti-strats and preparing tactical adjustments.

“They slept maybe 30 minutes or one hour. We won only because of them,” mo0N said. 

The preparation immediately paid off. magic opened the series with a confident Dust2 victory before eventually closing out Ancient in the deciding map.

Home Crowd Giving magic Extra Motivation

PGL Astana marks mo0N’s first tier-one LAN event, making the playoff run even more emotional for the young AWPer. Playing in front of a Kazakh audience has clearly become a major motivational factor for the entire roster.

mo0N described the atmosphere in Astana as “amazing” and admitted he desperately wanted to keep winning to stay on stage longer in front of the local fans. 

The team’s rapid rise has also impressed teammate Nikita “tenzy” Kochenyuk, who recently told HLTV that magic’s development has accelerated dramatically since the arrival of mo0N.

“Our development is going rapidly,” tenzy explained in a previous interview. 

Falcons Await magic in PGL Astana Semi-Finals

magic’s next challenge will be against Falcons, who secured their own semi-final spot after a grueling playoff victory against FURIA. 

Despite Falcons entering the match as heavy favorites, star rifler René “TeSeS” Madsen warned against underestimating the Kazakh underdogs.

“You can never disrespect someone,” TeSeS said while discussing magic’s playoff form. 

The semi-final also creates an intriguing storyline involving fellow Kazakh player Danil “molodoy” Golubenko, whom mo0N previously said he hoped to face deep in the tournament.

magic Becoming the Biggest Surprise Team in CS2

What started as a survival run has evolved into one of the most memorable underdog stories in competitive Counter-Strike this year. Between their tactical preparation, fearless playoff performances, and strong home support, magic are quickly becoming one of the most talked-about teams in the CS2 scene.

Whether their miracle run ends against Falcons or continues into the grand final, magic have already established themselves as the breakout roster of PGL Astana 2026.