ZywOo and Vitality beat Aurora in StarSeries Fall rematch as the Singapore CS2 Major gets closer
Vitality won StarSeries Fall 3-1, a day after losing to Aurora. The next big date for fans in the region is the CS2 Major at Singapore's Indoor Stadium.
The world's top-ranked Counter-Strike team has a trophy again. Team Vitality beat Aurora 3-1 in the StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026 grand final in Barcelona on 20 September. HLTV reports it was Vitality's first title since BLAST Rivals on 3 May.
A rematch that went the other way
On 19 September, Aurora beat Vitality 2-1 in the upper-bracket final. HLTV described Aurora's CT sides on Nuke and Anubis that day as "great". Vitality came back through the lower bracket and won the rematch clearly.
Grand final map scores:
- Anubis: Vitality 13-4
- Inferno: Aurora 13-11
- Mirage: Vitality 13-4
- Cache: Vitality 13-7
Vitality rifler Shahar "flameZ" Shushan told HLTV: "After yesterday, we knew what they would do."
Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut was the best player in the final. HLTV gives him a 1.51 rating and a 71-44 kill-death record for the series. Dot Esports reports that the performance earned the French star his 33rd career MVP award. Dot Esports also puts the grand final's peak audience at more than 312,000 viewers.
Aurora's new roster reaches its first final
Losing the final still left Aurora with a good week. It was the first final for their new international roster: Jimi "Jimpphat" Salo, Ali "Wicadia" Haydar Yalçın, Özgür "woxic" Eker, Ismailcan "XANTARES" Dörtkardeş and Damjan "kyxsan" Stoilkovski, coached by Ashley "ash" Battye. HLTV named Jimpphat as the key player in the upper-bracket win, with a 1.36 rating.
For Vitality, HLTV notes that William "mezii" Merriman is back from parental leave and the team has its full line-up again. That's good timing, with Pro League and then the Major coming up.
Next: the Major in Singapore
For Malaysian CS2 fans, the most important date this year is close to home. The PGL Major Singapore 2026 runs from 25 November to 13 December. The playoffs are at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, which holds more than 12,000 spectators.
- Prize pool: US$1.25 million, with US$500,000 for the winner (cs.money)
- Format: 32 teams across three Swiss stages, then single-elimination playoffs from 10 to 13 December, with a best-of-five grand final
- Regional places: Europe 18, Americas 9, Asia 5
- Qualification: Based on Valve Regional Standings (VRS), with invitations sent in November
- Broadcast: English coverage on Twitch, YouTube and Kick
PGL points out that it organised the three most-watched Counter-Strike events ever: Stockholm 2021, Antwerp 2022 and Copenhagen 2024. It's also rare to have a Counter-Strike Major a short trip from Kuala Lumpur, so Malaysian fans who have only watched online could see one in person. Tickets are sold through PGL's official site.
Key takeaways
- Vitality beat Aurora 3-1 in the StarSeries Fall 2026 final on 20 September, the day after losing to them.
- ZywOo led the final with a 1.51 rating (HLTV).
- It was Vitality's first trophy since May.
- The PGL Major Singapore (25 Nov–13 Dec) has five places for Asian teams and a US$1.25 million prize pool.
FAQ
When and where is the next CS2 Major? PGL Major Singapore, from 25 November to 13 December 2026. The playoffs are at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
How do teams qualify for the Singapore Major? Through Valve Regional Standings (VRS) points. Asia has five of the 32 places.
Who won StarSeries Fall 2026? Team Vitality, who beat Aurora 3-1 in the grand final.
Sources: HLTV.org, Dot Esports, PGL, cs.money, esports.gg