3DMAX and paiN Gaming Eliminated From PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026
•February 17, 2026
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Why It Matters
The early eliminations highlight the depth of competition in CS2, shift the playoff bracket and raise questions about the effectiveness of recent roster moves for emerging regions, impacting sponsor visibility and future team strategies.
Key Takeaways
- •3DMAX and paiN Gaming exit group stage
- •Both teams failed to secure three wins
- •paiN Gaming's new roster struggled against top opponents
- •Early eliminations shift playoff dynamics for remaining teams
- •Team Vitality and Falcons secure playoff spots
Pulse Analysis
The PGL Cluj‑Napoca 2026 event has quickly become a benchmark for CS2 excellence, drawing top talent from Europe, North America and Latin America. 3DMAX entered the tournament on the back of a top‑12 finish at IEM Krakow, yet the French lineup failed to adapt to the heightened pressure, suffering straight‑set losses to Team Falcons, Astralis and HEROIC. Their inability to claim even a single map underscores the razor‑thin margin between mid‑tier contenders and the elite in today’s tier‑1 scene.
For paiN Gaming, the story is one of ambition tempered by growing pains. After bolstering their roster with Vinicius "vsm" Moreira and Guilherme "piriajr" Barbosa, the South American squad hoped to translate regional success into global relevance. However, narrow defeats to The MongolZ and Aurora Gaming revealed lingering cohesion issues, while a decisive loss to G2 Esports confirmed that the new lineup still lacks the consistency needed to challenge the world’s best. This outcome serves as a cautionary tale for Latin American organizations investing heavily in talent upgrades without sufficient time for synergy.
The ripple effect of these eliminations reshapes the playoff landscape, granting a clearer path for teams like Team Vitality and Team Falcons, both of which have already secured advancement. Sponsors and partners, such as ASUS ROG, will now focus their branding on the remaining contenders, amplifying exposure for the teams that survive. Looking ahead, the early exits may prompt a strategic reassessment among fringe teams, emphasizing the importance of roster stability, map‑specific preparation, and mental resilience as the CS2 ecosystem continues to mature.
3DMAX and paiN Gaming eliminated from PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026
Image credit: PGL
3DMAX and paiN Gaming have become the first two teams eliminated from PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 after failing to score three wins during the Group Stage.
The all-French roster failed to win a single map across three best-of-threes, while paiN Gaming lost to The MongolZ, Aurora Gaming, and G2 Esports.
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3DMAX’s Struggles Continue
Having scored a top-12 finish at IEM Krakow 2026, 3DMAX hoped to build on the result by securing a place in the playoffs. The team’s Cluj-Napoca campaign kicked off with a 2-0 defeat to Team Falcons before another 2-0 loss to Astralis put the team on the verge of elimination in the opening two days of the Tier 1 tournament.
Victory against HEROIC was a must-win series if 3DMAX had any chance of making it into the playoffs. The opposition began Nuke with a clinical attacking display, placing the team immediately on the back foot. HEROIC’s defence also held firm in the second half to secure a comfortable 13-5 win.
Inferno was a much closer contest, with 3DMAX ending the first half with a four-round advantage. The lead, however, wasn’t enough to prevent HEROIC from completing an impressive comeback on its attacking half, scoring nine rounds to overturn the deficit and take a 13-10 win and wrap up the series with a 2-0 sweep.
A Slow Start For PaiN Gaming
After signing Vinicius ‘vsm’ Moreira and Guilherme ‘piriajr’ Barbosa in early January, paiN Gaming remains one of South America’s strongest teams despite beginning the year with a top-16 at BLAST Bounty Season 1 and a top-20 in Krakow.
The team’s Cluj-Napoca campaign opened with a 2-1 defeat to The MongolZ, where paiN Gaming only managed to win three rounds across two maps. Another 2-1 defeat to Aurora Gaming was an improvement, but a lack of cohesion on Anubis and Dust II resulted in the Brazilians closing in on another early exit.
paiN Gaming finally showed signs of life in its third-round match against G2 Esports. Despite signs of potential on attack and defence, its opponent sent the team packing with a 2-0 defeat.
Team Vitality And Team Falcons Advance
Towards the top of the Group Stage table, the pairing of Team Vitality and Team Falcons became the first teams to secure a place in the playoffs after ending the Group Stage with three victories.
While G2 Esports and The MongolZ managed to take a map off the dominant Team Vitality roster, the world’s best CS2 team demonstrated its class to earn its place in another Tier 1 playoffs.
After sweeping aside 3DMAX in its opening match, Team Falcons managed to overcome FaZe Clan before completing a reverse sweep against FURIA to earn its first playoff appearance of 2026.
PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 Day 3 Details
Day three of PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 is underway with the 12 remaining teams continuing to compete for three more places in the playoffs. In addition to more teams advancing to the next stage, another three teams will head home.
Fans can tune into the action across PGL’s Twitch and YouTube channels.
The post 3DMAX and paiN Gaming eliminated from PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 appeared first on Esports Insider.
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