FURIA turned a 2-1 series deficit into a title defense, beating BETBOOM 3-2 in the Thunderpick World Championship final in Malta. The victory gave FURIA its first trophy of 2026 and its second straight Thunderpick championship, following a 3-2 reverse sweep of NAVI in 2025.
FURIA opened the final with a 13-6 win on Dust2. KSCERATO led the way with a 21-8 scoreline as FURIA won force-buy rounds and built an early economy advantage.
Ancient swung the series. FURIA led 7-1 before two teamkills in quick succession gave BETBOOM a route back into the map. BETBOOM won eight rounds in a row and completed the comeback in overtime.
BETBOOM moved ahead 2-1 on Nuke. Magnojez helped build a 7-2 start on defense with two multi-kills under pressure at the A bombsite.
FURIA answered on Mirage with a 10-2 CT half, but BETBOOM made the finish difficult even after FURIA took the second pistol round. At 11-11, FURIA ended BETBOOM’s nine-round run with a successful 5v5 post-plant on A. FalleN then closed the map 13-11 with a triple kill in a 2v4.
Cache settled the final and secured consecutive Thunderpick titles for FURIA. The win ended an 11-month wait for another trophy, following the team’s victory at BLAST Rivals Season 2 last November. It also gave FalleN a title in his planned final year of competition. FURIA had played eight Tier 1 tournaments since he announced in April that he planned to retire at year’s end.
FURIA earned $250,000, with another $250,000 awarded as its club share. BETBOOM took $125,000 plus a matching club share.
Tournament MVP KSCERATO called the final a hard-fought series in a post-final interview with HLTV. He said FURIA had made some rounds harder for itself, particularly on Ancient, and acknowledged that the team was nervous. He also credited BETBOOM’s strong core for finding multi-kills and kills through smoke. His summary of the finish was simple: “A goal is a goal, even if it’s ugly.”
KSCERATO described the year as difficult, pointing to defeats in the Krakow and Major finals, mixed results before the Major, and a loss to DENDELE at the start of the second season. FURIA had played a crowded tournament schedule, he said, making it harder to perform at its best. Winning Thunderpick gave the team confidence and some breathing room.
He also said he believes he is playing better than last year, citing more impact and multi-kill rounds, including on Ancient. KSCERATO praised FalleN’s communication and macro calls, while noting that the veteran plans to retire at the end of the year. He disagreed with the decision but said FalleN had earned a chance to rest. KSCERATO added that YEKINDAR played well and communicated despite having a fever and coughing, with a particularly strong contribution on Ancient.
FURIA planned a short rest before its next tournament, PGL Masters Bucharest 2026, which is scheduled to begin Oct. 24.
Which swing in the five-map final stood out most to you? For more on FURIA’s next stop in Bucharest and the team’s 2026 run, stay connected on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
