Team Vitality Crush MOUZ 2–0 to Reach PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 Playoffs as Mathieu Herbaut Shines

Team Vitality booked a spot in the PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 playoffs after a one-sided 2–0 win over MOUZ in Swiss Round 3 (a matchup between teams that were 2–0 in the group stage, with the winner qualifying). 

How the series played out

The match ended 13–5 on Dust2 and 13–8 on Inferno, with Vitality looking in control on both maps. 

On Dust2, Vitality set the tone early and never really let MOUZ stabilize. HLTV’s map breakdown shows MOUZ managed five rounds in the first half but were then shut out 0–6 after the side switch, turning the map into a rout.  The standout statistical performer on the map was Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut: he led the server in kills and AWP impact, topping the “most kills” and “most AWP kills” categories for Dust2 in HLTV’s map stats. 

Inferno was more competitive on the scoreboard, but the flow still favored Vitality. The half-by-half scoreline (as listed on HLTV) shows MOUZ digging themselves into a deep hole before mounting a later response that ultimately wasn’t enough to force a third map.  One of MOUZ’s bright spots was a highlight play from Ádám “torzsi” Torzsás, who recorded an ace including a 1v3 clutch sequence during the map. 

Across the full best-of-three, Russian outlet Championat reported that ZywOo finished the series with a 1.80 rating and a 44–22 K/D, again underlining how heavily Vitality’s superstar influenced the outcome. 

Map veto and what it tells us

The veto followed a clear logic from both sides. According to HLTV, Vitality removed Ancient, MOUZ removed Anubis, then Vitality picked Dust2 and MOUZ chose Inferno, leaving Overpass as the decider—though it was not needed.  The end result mirrored that structure: Vitality’s Dust2 pick became the most lopsided map of the series, and they were still solid enough on MOUZ’s selection to close it out 2–0. 

What the win means: playoffs secured

With this victory, Vitality advanced to the playoffs and became the first team to qualify from the Swiss stage at the event, as reported by HLTV.  Cybersport.ru also confirmed that the win in Round 3 sent Dan “apEX” Madesclaire’s team through to the bracket stage. 

After the match, apEX posted a short message on X (Twitter), saying they beat MOUZ 2–0, that he was happy with how they played today, and that they were ready for the playoffs (“Playoffs, let’s go!”). 

MOUZ, meanwhile, dropped into the 2–1 pool and continued their run in the group stage rather than being eliminated. 

Broader tournament context and related results

PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 is a LAN Counter-Strike 2 tournament in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, running from February 14 to February 22, 2026, with a $625,000 prize pool, hosted at BT Arena. 

Vitality’s qualification came on a day where other storylines in the Swiss stage also sharpened. G2 avoided elimination by beating paiN 2–0 (13–10 Inferno, 13–9 Mirage), with HLTV highlighting Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko as a key difference-maker as G2 began a recovery from the 0–2 pool.  Elsewhere, 3DMAX were knocked out of the event after losing 0–2 to HEROIC, a result also logged in HLTV’s match records and reflected in coverage around the day’s eliminations. 

Taken together, those results show the Swiss format doing what it’s designed to do: teams at the top (like Vitality in the 2–0 bracket) can lock playoffs early with one more win, while squads who stumble early (like G2) must immediately fight through elimination matches to keep their tournament alive.