Phygital Shooter semifinalists confirmed after day of drama and exits

It was a day of final group stage matches in Phygital Shooter CS2 presented by Yandex Go at the Beeline Arena, with all the teams desperate to secure a place in Friday’s semifinals.

With Team KZ leading Group A rankings and Minsk House being top of the Group B leaderboard, it would be a huge ask for any of their rivals to overtake them. So the other teams were battling for the last remaining semifinal slot in each group – with no guarantee that results would go their way.

So, it was make-or-break for six of the eight teams – especially reigning champions NOVAQ who would need a pivotal performance to survive. Here’s how it all played out.

Group A

Klan Pedrajas 1-2 Team KZ

Once again, home favorites Team KZ gave a masterclass in CS2. Klan Pedrajas had their moments, but the group leaders simply dominated on Dust2, winning 13:3. Team KZ’s stratefly delivered 24 kills, making him MVP of the first map.

Having chosen Ancient as their map, Klan Pedrajas started strong with a four-point lead. However, Team KZ fought back, winning eight rounds in a row to lead 8:4 at the halfway point. They eventually took the game 13:6.

There was still one crucial point to be one in the laser tag stage – and Klan Pedrajas were determined to take it. They came out strong right from the beginning and cruised to a 6:3 victory, keeping their semifinal hopes alive.

“I think we don't have many chances to go to the playoffs. But we're so happy because we made a good show and we're all having fun here.” - Rafael Pedrajas, Klan Pedrajas.

Liga Pro Team 3-0 Mirage Team

Mirage Team have had a difficult run of matches so far, and their luck wasn’t about to change. With Faydett delivering an ace clutch in round 12, Liga Pro Team obliterated Mirage Team with a final score of 13:0 on Inferno.

Moving to Nuke, could Mirage Team reset and get on the scoreboard? The answer was swift – Liga Pro Team ran away with the match, round after round. Mirage Team did get on the scoreboard in the ninth round, but it was all over for them. The final score was 13:1, meaning no way for Mirage Team to get to the semifinals.

Even though the match was lost, Mirage Team had one last chance to score a point. Yet Liga Pro Team were just as dominant in the laser tag stage, delivering a 6:1 victory and another three match points – guaranteeing their semifinal spot.

"The game turned out to be easy, as we expected. Everything went according to our plan. Looking ahead, all our opponents are interesting and worthy. I think we will surprise in the semifinals.” – Andrei Isakhanian, Liga Pro Team

Group B

Team Hybrids 0-3 NOVAQ

Despite being able to win a round early in the first game, Team Hybrids just could not get a grip. NOVAQ showed their intent with an incredible performance on Ancient, winning the map 13:1.

Inferno was Team Hybrids’ choice of map and yet, they were once again destroyed with an overwhelming display from NOVAQ who took it 13:1.

Team Hybrids fought back in the arena, putting up a competitive fight and taking two rounds. The battles were more intense than anticipated, but NOVAQ won 6:2, meaning they scored a crucial three points in the race for the semifinals.

Minsk House 2-1 Eternal Fire

The opening rounds on Inferno were evenly matched, as the teams swapped wins round on round. But by the halfway mark, Minsk House had taken a clear lead at 9:4 and went on to secure the win, 13:8.

Dust2 delivered more competitive battles, with each round ramping up the excitement for the crowd in the arena. Eternal Fire started to gain a lead, taking it to 11:8 before Minsk House came back at them. However, Eternal Fire managed to hang in there to win the map 13:9.

By contrast, the battle in laser tag was a one-team show. Eternal Fire could not get a foothold in any round as Minsk House demolished them for a straight 6:0 victory.

“We lost Inferno map, which was so sad for us. We were really expecting to win that. But we were happy to win Dust2 – we played really well. We’re not going to the playoffs but it’s okay.” – Aura, Eternal Fire.

All results

The next stage

With all the group stage matches completed, tomorrow’s semifinals are expected to be top-tier face-offs with the four strongest teams taking part.

The top two teams in Group A to go through are Team KZ and Liga Pro Team. They will be joined by Group B teams Minsk House and NOVAQ.

The first match between Team KZ and NOVAQ will be at 16:00 local time at the Beeline Arena in Astana. This will be followed by the match most fans have been wanting to see – Minsk House against Liga Pro Team.

Where to watch

All the semifinal action for Phygital Shooter CS2 presented by Yandex Go can be watched on Phygital+, the home of the Games of the Future 2026. You’ll be able to see that from 16:00, along with the second day of Phygital Dancing presented by Solidcore Resources from 08:00 and MOBA Mobile presented by Freedom from 14:00. All times are local Astana times.

Phygital+ is where 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.