CS2 News: Astralis Beat Nemiga 3-1 to Win Stake Ranked Episode 4

Astralis waited almost seven years for this. On Sunday in Barcelona, the Danish organization beat Nemiga 3-1 in the grand final of Stake Ranked Episode 4. It was their first LAN title since the BLAST Pro Series Global Final in December 2019.

They took the long way to get there. Astralis lost their opening series to Alliance and spent the rest of the event in the lower bracket. Five straight series wins later, they collected the $25,000 first prize from a $100,000 pool. For a club that piled up runner-up finishes over the past two years, this is the most welcome cs2 news in a long time.

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Anyone following tier-two Counter-Strike through GoCore's daily Pick'ems got a useful lesson from this event. In a double-elimination bracket, an opening loss tells you very little about who lifts the trophy.

The Lower Bracket Road to Barcelona Glory

Stake Ranked Episode 4 ran from October 1 to 4, organized by StarLadder. Eight teams played a double-elimination bracket, with best-of-three series throughout and a best-of-five grand final.

Astralis dropped a 2-1 decision to Alliance on day one. From there, they beat FaZe 2-1 and sent them home in last place. BIG fell 2-1 the next day, and Fnatic followed 2-0. In the lower bracket final, Astralis lost Mirage 11-13 to Luminosity. They answered with 13-7 on Cache and 13-11 on Nuke to book their spot in the final.

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Nemiga took the clean route. They went through the upper bracket without dropping a series and beat Luminosity 2-0 in the upper final. They arrived on Sunday chasing a third title in a month, after winning MPKBK CIS LAN Season 7 and the online NODWIN Clutch Series 12.

Map by Map: How the Grand Final Unfolded

Astralis opened on Mirage with a 13-6 win. Jakob "jabbi" Nygaard led the way with a 2.30 rating on the map.

Nemiga hit back on Ancient. A strong CT side gave them a 13-10 win and leveled the series at 1-1.

That was as close as it got. Astralis took Nuke 13-5, then closed out the series 13-7 on Cache. Dust2 went unplayed.

Staehr Stands Out Among the Best CS2 Players in Barcelona

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Victor "Staehr" Staehr was the difference. He posted a 1.41 rating in the final and finished the event with a tournament-high 1.27. His 2.02 rating on Nuke broke the series open. On Cache, he capped the title run with an ace clutch.

Staehr was not alone. Jabbi and Gytis "ryu" Glušauskas both delivered big series, and the trio outplayed Nemiga's firepower across all four maps. On this form, Staehr belongs in any conversation about the best cs2 players outside the top tier.

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Coach Filip "NEO" Kubski joined the team in the summer, and this trophy is his first with Astralis. He described the reward as a long time coming. "It feels nice to finally lift a trophy," he said after the final.

What Comes Next Before the Next CS2 Tournament

The Barcelona run lifts Astralis back into HLTV's top 10 for the first time since June. Stake Ranked is a tier-two circuit, so this title will not settle debates about where the team stands against the elite. It does give a young lineup something it has lacked: proof it can close out an event.

Nemiga leave Spain with plenty to build on. They now sit 15th in Valve's global rankings, with a projected 68.1% chance of qualifying for the PGL Singapore Major. One more strong result could lock in their place.

Both teams will be watched closely heading into the next cs2 tournament on their calendars. The Stake Ranked circuit continues with Episode 5 from October 27 to 30, and the Major race will only tighten from here. If you want to back your read on these teams, GoCore's daily Pick'ems give you a fresh shot every day.

Did Astralis' lower bracket run change your view of them? Share your take with the GoCore community.

TL;DR

• Astralis beat Nemiga 3-1 in the Stake Ranked Episode 4 grand final in Barcelona
• First Astralis LAN title since the BLAST Pro Series Global Final in December 2019
• Lower bracket run after an opening loss to Alliance: FaZe, BIG, fnatic, Luminosity, Nemiga
• Staehr starred with a 1.41 final rating and an event-high 1.27
• Nemiga now 15th in the world with a projected 68.1% chance of reaching the Singapore Major