Spirit and 9z Progress At PGL Astana 2026, Fisher College And K27 Out
PGL Astana 2026 is well underway and the playoffs are starting to take some shape. Favourites and last year’s winner, Spirit, has progressed, along with the somewhat surprise package 9z. At the other end, Fisher College and K27 have been eliminated after failing to win any of their three matchups.
Fisher College And K27 Out
Fisher College made history by becoming the first-ever collegiate team to qualify for a tier-1 tournament when they won the North America Closed Qualifier.
But, the quality of opposition proved too much, as they fell to a 3-0 series result, losing 2:0 to G2, PARIVISION, and The Huns.
K27 fared slightly better, picking up a leg against Gentle Mates in a 2:1 loss. But 2:0 losses to Falcons and magic led to their early exit.
Spirit Progress
At the other end of the table, Spirit lived up to expectations with dominant 2:0 victories over The Huns and The Mongolz. They also emerged victorious with a 2:1 win against FURIA, who now have to play Gentle Mates to progress deeper.
Spirit won last year’s event and is benefiting from Vitality’s decision to play at IEM Atlanta, rather than in Kazakhstan. There’s still some way to go, but the Serbian team has made a very strong start.
As expected, Spirit’s progress was helped significantly by donk, who finished the group stage with a 1.63 rating.
9z Through
While Spirit’s progression was expected, 9z’s run may come as a bit more of a surprise. The Brazilian team came through the South America Closed Qualifier, having dominated the domestic scene.
Astana was seen as a yardstick to the roster’s standings in the global order, and with a 2:0 win over PARIVISION and 2:1 victories against Falcons and MOUZ, they look good value to keep progressing.
PGL Astana 2026 Playoffs
With qualification confirmed for two teams, there are still plenty of places up for grabs. The playoffs, which start on Friday and culminate in the grand final on Sunday, feature 8 teams, so the fate of more teams will be determined in the coming hours.
