18.02.2026 11:00 CET


Aurora's map pool firepower gives them the edge to advance past a vulnerable Astralis side in Cluj-Napoca
Aurora arrive with clear direction in the veto. Astralis almost always removes Dust2, where they hold a brutal 17% winrate, and that plays directly into Aurora's hands. With Anubis sitting at 80% across five maps and Nuke as a potential neutral ground, Aurora can dictate the map flow and force Astralis into uncomfortable territory from the first pick.
Astralis are not without weapons. Their Ancient is strong at 64% and their Nuke profile is reliable, but Aurora's tendency to ban Ancient at a 93% rate essentially neutralizes that ace. Astralis then have to lean on Mirage, a map where their winrate fall to 30%. That is not a recipe for a Bo3 upset.
Recent form tells a similar story. Both teams arrive with split records, but Astralis's wins have come against weaker opposition while Aurora has already tested herself against NaVi and top-tier competition. The map pool math is simply too tilted. Aurora takes this 2-1.
Prediction: Aurora 2-1 Astralis
Odds:
Aurora 1.63
Astralis 2.29
Xaxas
Xaxas
Leaderboard rank: 0
Points
+4
Correct/incorrect
8/4
Pick %
67%
Become a GOCORE tipster
We are looking for multiple contributors with proven experience in the industry. Let’s connect.
Contact us