FaZe Clan, B8 and HEROIC knocked out of PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026

FaZe Clan, B8, and HEROIC are the latest teams eliminated from PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 as the battle for the remaining playoff places heats up.

The trio were unable to earn a place in the fifth round of the Group Stage after recording a third defeat to end the tournament with a 1-3 record.

After making an unprecedented run to the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Grand Final, FaZe Clan hoped to begin the 2026 season on the front foot. However, a swift elimination from BLAST Bounty Season 1 followed by a top-12 finish at IEM Krakow 2026 wasn’t the start the Red Militia had in mind.

The team’s Cluj-Napoca campaign began with a victory over HEROIC, with solid defensive strategies making the difference against its opponent. FaZe Clan couldn’t build on the momentum from its opening victory, losing to Team Falcons before an inspired Parivision comeback put the Major runners-up on the brink of another early exit.

A rising Astralis sealed FaZe Clan’s fate, with a 13-5 win on Ancient and a 13-9 win on Mirage, wrapped up a 2-0 sweep to add further turbulence to FaZe Clan’s season.

B8 ended 2025 showing signs that it could compete among powerhouse rosters with a top-eight finish at PGL Masters Bucharest, along with a top-11 placement at the Budapest Major.

The Ukrainian roster’s run through the Cluj-Napoca Group Stage featured some of the world’s strongest teams. Following an early defeat to FURIA in round one, B8 bounced back with a 2-0 sweep of HEROIC to earn a place in round three, where The MongolZ would await.

B8 managed to keep The MongolZ honest in a hotly contested best-of-three. A back-and-forth Nuke required overtime to determine the winner, but the Mongolians emerged victorious with a 19-17 scoreline to hand the Ukrainians its second Group Stage defeat.

Narrow margins proved the difference in B8’s deciding match against Aurora Gaming, with the latter emerging with a 2-0 series victory to bring a tricky Cluj-Napoca campaign to an end.

HEROIC’s 2026 season began with a playoff appearance at BLAST Bounty, laying the foundation to climb further up the Valve Regional Standings (VRS). Early losses to B8 and FaZe Clan saw the European roster become one of the first at risk of elimination at the first hurdle, but a 2-0 sweep of 3DMAX kept it in contention.

G2 Esports showcased its superior attacking and defensive strategy across Mirage to win 13-6, and Ancient 13-9 to send HEROIC home. Despite the defeat, HEROIC showcased signs of brilliance with Tim ‘susp‘ Ångström continuing to prove his worth after joining the team in January.

Elsewhere, MOUZ and The MongolZ have become the next two teams to book a place at the BT Arena with 3-1 records. The defending Cluj-Napoca champion survived an in-form FUT Esports roster, securing a 2-0 sweep and another playoff appearance. Meanwhile, The MongolZ overcame NAVI in its fourth-round match to advance to the next stage.

Anarbileg ‘cobrazera’ Uuganbayar proved crucial in the latter stages against NAVI, with his lightning-fast reactions proving pivotal in securing the final defensive rounds to earn a 2-1 series victory.