At FISSURE Playground 1, we’re set for a thrilling match between Astralis and MIBR — two teams with different recent trajectories but similar ambitions. Astralis are gradually finding their form again after failing to qualify for the Major, while MIBR already had their shot at the BLAST.tv Austin Major, falling short of the playoffs. Both squads have something to prove, and their recent head-to-head history adds extra intrigue.
Current Form
Astralis
Over the past three months, the Danish lineup has played 34 maps, winning 17. In June, they did not participate in any major tournaments due to failing the qualifiers for Austin Major. However, Astralis have shown signs of improvement lately, winning 3 of their last 5 matches — against Aurora, NAVI, and Virtus.pro, with both losses coming against Team Spirit, currently one of the top teams in the world.
MIBR
The Brazilian team has played 32 maps in the past three months, securing 14 wins. At the BLAST.tv Austin Major, they finished in 9–11th place after defeating Falcons and BetBoom, but losing to FaZe, Nemiga, and Legacy. MIBR’s performance has been inconsistent overall, but they remain capable of delivering surprises — especially on their preferred maps.
Map Pool Breakdown
In this best-of-three, both teams have clear veto tendencies.
First Bans:
- Astralis will likely remove Anubis, a map they almost never play.
- MIBR are expected to ban Dust2, following their usual approach.
Picks:
- Astralis are likely to pick Inferno, where they’ve shown consistent results and hold a 67% win rate.
- MIBR might have gone for Anubis, but with that banned, their pick could be Mirage, a map they’ve looked solid on in previous head-to-head matches.
Second Bans:
- Astralis, aware of MIBR’s weakness on Ancient (just 17% win rate), might leave it in the pool and instead remove Mirage, if not picked.
- MIBR, facing Astralis’ strength on Nuke, will likely ban it.
Decider:
- If the veto follows this expected path, the deciding map could be Train — a relatively neutral ground where neither team holds a significant edge.
Head-to-Head
In the last six months, Astralis and MIBR have faced each other twice:
- At IEM Katowice 2025, MIBR won 2–0 (Mirage 16:12, Ancient 13:11).
- At PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025, Astralis got their revenge, winning 2–1 (Mirage 22:15, Inferno 16:13, Nuke 5:13).
That puts the head-to-head record at 1–1, with each team proving capable of beating the other on their own terms.
Match Prediction
This is shaping up to be a close contest, with both teams having specific strengths. Astralis have looked better in recent matches, especially against stronger opponents, and have clear advantages on Inferno and Nuke. Meanwhile, MIBR continue to show inconsistency, struggling even against lower-tier opposition, though they are still capable of putting up a fight.
Considering the map pool, current form, and previous performances, Astralis appear to be the favorites.
Prediction: Astralis to win 2–1.
