Phygital Shooter sees intense battles on first day at GOTF 2026

Phygital Shooter CS2 presented by Yandex Go burst into action today as eight teams battled through four high-intensity group-stage matches at Beeline Arena in Astana.

The first round of fixtures at the Games of the Future 2026 Powered by SAMRUK-KAZYNA gave every team an opportunity to stake an early claim for a place in the knockout rounds, combining tactical CS2 gameplay with laser tag in the discipline's signature phygital format.

Throughout the day, closely contested encounters saw teams balance digital precision with physical performance as they battled for an early advantage in their groups.

Team KZ 3-0 Mirage Team

The opening match saw the home side, Team KZ, lay down an early marker with a dominant display against Mirage Team. A flawless showing on Mirage saw them cruise to a remarkable 13:0 victory, leaving their opponents with no room to respond.

The momentum continued on Nuke. Mirage Team managed to get on the board, but were once again outclassed as Team KZ closed out a convincing 13:1 win, capped by a Nova kill by raiNyyy to complete a near-perfect digital stage.

Moving to the laser tag arena, Team KZ did not let up, delivering a straight 6:0 sweep to seal an emphatic victory, with Mirage Team having no response to the home team’s superiority.

Ruslan Borzhikov from Team KZ explained after the match that the team hadn’t found it difficult transferring from CS2 to laser tag: “Actually, it's easy to find common ground. Because the subject matter is identical. The same thing applies in Counter-Strike 2 – it’s about how you think with your head, how you move correctly, how you move as a team.”

Liga Pro Team 2-1 Klan Pedrajas

The opening map Inferno was a closely contested battle, with Klan Pedrajas taking an early lead before Liga Pro Team fought their way back into the game. Tied at 9:9, the result could have gone either way, but Klan Pedrajas finished strongly to claim a 13:9 victory and the first point of the match.

Dust2 delivered another thriller. Liga Pro Team looked set to close out the series after racing to an 11:3 lead, but Klan Pedrajas mounted a remarkable comeback to level the score at 12:12 and force the game into overtime. With momentum against them, Liga Pro Team held their nerve in the extra rounds, securing a 16:13 win to level the series.

Liga Pro Team then completed the turnaround in the physical stage, with an aggressive performance that Klan Pedrajas just couldn’t counter, delivering them not just a 6:1 win in that stage but securing the match 2-1.

Iurii Muravkin from Liga Pro Team, who was the team’s MVP in the match, said: "Everything was going well. I felt very comfortable. However, we started to lose some of our momentum, but we tried to hold on and thankfully, managed to get through overtime."

NOVAQ 2-1 Eternal Fire

The opening map on Ancient was a competitive affair, with NOVAQ making the brighter start before Eternal Fire settled into the game and began to take control. Neither side was able to pull away early on, but Eternal Fire held a narrow advantage heading into the latter stages and steadily extended their lead, closing out the map with a 13:8 victory.

Dust2 produced another thrilling contest, with NOVAQ racing into an early 6:0 lead and maintaining control throughout much of the map. By halftime they held a commanding 9:3 advantage, but Eternal Fire refused to go quietly, mounting an impressive comeback and dragging the game into overtime. Despite seeing their lead slip away, NOVAQ kept their composure when it mattered most. After a tense extra-time battle, they edged out Eternal Fire 16:14 to level the series and send the match to a winner-takes-all showdown in the laser tag arena.

NOVAQ took their momentum into the physical stage of the match and easily won the encounter 6:1, taking the match 2-1.

Minsk House 3-0 Team Hybrids

Nuke was a one-sided affair from the outset, with Minsk House showing why they are so highly rated. They raced into an 11:0 lead, controlling the map and leaving Team Hybrids struggling to find a foothold. Team Hybrids eventually got on the board, but Minsk House remained firmly in control, closing out the map with a dominant 13:1 victory to cap off an impressive performance.

Ancient was no different. Minsk House raced into an early lead, and although Team Hybrids managed to get on the board at 8:1, they never threatened a comeback. Minsk House remained firmly in control and closed out the map 13:1 with ease.

Minsk House secured the win in the laser tag stage (6:1), delivering an aggressive physical approach to ensure that Team Hybrids couldn’t get into the battles and that Minsk House finished the day on a high, at the top of Group B.

Tomorrow’s essential games

With the group stage continuing tomorrow, another four matches will shape the race for the knockout rounds. Team KZ, who top Group A, face second-placed Liga Pro Team, while NOVAQ take on Minsk House in a key Group B encounter. With only two knockout spots available from each group, every result will be critical as teams look to strengthen their qualification hopes.

Where to watch

Whether you're cheering from the stands or following from the other side of the world, Phygital+ is the home of the Games of the Future 2026. Subscribers can enjoy live coverage of every discipline, full event and day-pass access, video-on-demand replays, and exclusive behind-the-scenes content throughout the tournament.

Alongside Phygital+, the Games of the Future 2026 is being broadcast by leading media partners across the globe, including Fox Sports Mexico (Mexico), StarTimes (Africa), BIGG TV (France/Worldwide), ESR TV (USA/Worldwide), Play TV (Brazil), Unbeaten (Australia) and QazSport (Kazakhstan), ensuring fans around the world can follow the action as it unfolds.