After one day at Worlds 2026, one team will face elimination. Based on our predictions, neither Cloud9 nor FURIA should be here. However, we all know predictions never go as planned. C9 narrowly lost to Karmine Corp, while MVK Esports dismantled FURIA. The latter was unexpected. No one gave MVK a chance. They disappointed again on the international stage. The series will be the third meeting between the two this year.
FURIA Dominated at the Americas Cup
FURIA rocked the world earlier this year. They entered the Americas Cup after finishing third in the CBLOL Cup. Their aggressive gameplay dismantled America. They tore through the bracket, going 8-0, all against LCS teams. Two of those matches were against C9. They won the first series 2-0 and dominated them in the Grand Finals 3-0. They have changed since then. They have a different mid and bot lane, and their coaching staff is different. However, a result like that will linger in their minds throughout the series.
Worlds 2026: Player Head-to-Heads
Top Lane – Thanatos Versus Guigo
Guigo is coming off his worst international showing. The Brazilian top laner got bullied by Kratos and Gury. He needs to step up in this series. Thanatos is unlikely to push the envelope as hard as Kratos. However, he will play more stably than the Vietnamese top laner. It should give Guigo more room to stabilize. That said, stability will not beat Thanatos.
Jungle – Blaber Versus Tatu (Featured Matchup)
The last time these two junglers met, Tatu bested Blaber. He lost to his early-game aggression. Blaber has evolved this year. He has improved his early game. Tatu should not have the same control in this series. However, Tatu needs to bounce back. His fire might ignite in this series. Either jungler can win this matchup.
Mid Lane – Loki Versus Tutsz
Loki displayed his incredible mechanics against KC. He made one costly mistake. Unfortunately, that was series-defining. Loki’s laning phase was not impressive. He took over once he reached the mid-game. Tutsz will try to push his lane advantages, but Loki will not give him many angles.
Bot Lane – Tactical Versus Ayu
We favor FURIA in this matchup. Both Tactical and Ayu have high peaks. The difference is that Ayu is more consistent than Tactical. He had one major mistake against MVK. That cost them game one. He was good for the rest of the series. Tactical did not show enough to be considered better in the matchup.
Support – Vulcan Versus JoJo
Vulcan was a big driving force in their victories. The Renata Glasc handshake will live in our minds for many years. JoJo is no slouch either. The advantage goes to Vulcan. However, it is not significantly skewed in his favor.
Predictions
Cloud9 3-2 FURIA
Judging FURIA purely off their result yesterday is a mistake. That was not the team we have seen this year. If they do not recover, it will be a quick series. But we expect them to improve. C9 is not untouchable. They had plenty of mistakes against KC. The first series was not the most impressive. Neither team showed their best performances. They will need to clean up. They are against a team that will not be forgiving. The LCS third seed has the advantage. The Brazilian roster will be motivated by previous results, while C9 might capitulate.
Elimination on the Horizon
One team’s year will end. After all that preparation, two losses and they are out. Neither team will want to face elimination yet. The winner advances on. They play the loser of Karmine Corp and MVK Esports.
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