
In an interview at BLAST Open Porto 2026, M80 captain Elias “s1n” Stein analyzed the reasons behind their loss to Aurora Gaming, discussed changes in the team’s approach to the game, and shared the team’s future plans.
First of all, I’d like to talk about Dust2. We knew our opponent would pick this map, so we were able to prepare for it. We had a game plan ready that laid out exactly what to do in each round. In addition, we read our opponents’ moves well. However, we then found ourselves in unfavorable positions or, for example, lost a 2v3 retake early in the map. I think losses in rounds like that really affect our mental state, and after that, it’s hard for us to get back into the game.
We’ve tweaked our approach a bit, but that hasn’t made things any harder for me. Quite the opposite—these changes have made our team stronger. There weren’t any major overhauls that would have taken a long time to get used to.
As you’ve already mentioned, we have our ups and downs, but ultimately, we have only ourselves to blame. We started the season with matches against Tier 1 teams and have already beaten Natus Vincere, which is certainly a positive. However, we’re not satisfied with our other results yet. We need to keep working, play in Tier 2 tournaments, and attend LAN events in Europe. We plan to participate in a large number of such competitions to earn more VRS points.
Earlier, M80 was eliminated from the BLAST Open Porto 2026 after facing Aurora Gaming. Elias “s1n” Stein’s team lost 3–13 on Dust2 and, on Inferno, was unable to mount a comeback, finishing the match 5–13. Thanks to this victory, Aurora Gaming advanced to the Group A lower bracket final, where they will face G2 Esports for a spot in the playoffs.
Photo: Esports Foundation.