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The playoffs at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 delivered early chaos and a predictable finish. For Pick'Ems players, that combination is where rankings are won or lost.

We built our guide around three core ideas. Match volume matters. The third place decider creates hidden value. Vitality were the safest championship anchor. Now it is time to see how that played out.

Quarterfinals: Favorites Fall Early

Our projected winners were Falcons, NAVI, Vitality, and FURIA.

Reality hit fast.

PARIVISION eliminated Falcons 2-1. MOUZ knocked out NAVI 2-1. Vitality swept Aurora 2-0. The MongolZ beat FURIA 2-1.

1 Cluj Napoca bracket.webp

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Vitality were the only clean lock. Their CT setups, anti-eco conversions, and ZywOo's form made them stable from start to finish.

Falcons and NAVI exposed the danger of stacking popular favorites. Lost anti-ecos, weak map vetoes, and shaky mid-round calls punished high ownership picks immediately. If you separated from the pack with PARIVISION or The MongolZ, you gained serious ground.

In a plus one minus one system, that swing is massive.

Semifinals: Structure Wins

The actual semifinals became PARIVISION vs MOUZ and Vitality vs The MongolZ.

Vitality handled The MongolZ 2-0 and looked in full control of map vetoes. ropz and flameZ stepped up, and their Dust2 dominance continued.

2 Vitality vs MongolZ Dust 2 stats.webp

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PARIVISION swept MOUZ 2-0 with disciplined calling and strong opening duels from Jame.

3 PARIVISION vs MOUZ player stats.webp

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This reinforced the main thesis. Structured teams with solid CT sides thrive deeper in brackets. Match count remains king in Fantasy and Pick'ems logic.

Grand Final: The Anchor Delivers

The final was Vitality vs PARIVISION.

Vitality won 3-0.

Overpass was controlled. Dust2 was dominant. Inferno closed the door. flameZ and ZywOo led statistically, while apEX delivered key clutches and steady calling.

4 Vitality vs PARIVISION player stats.webp

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We projected Vitality as the safest champion. That call landed.

If you anchored your bracket around them, you protected your overall score even after quarterfinal volatility.

Fantasy Angle: apEX Value Confirmed

apEX was one of the most popular Fantasy picks at 188k. That popularity made sense. He was affordable, on the favored team, and guaranteed deep map count if Vitality made a run.

They won the event. The value logic held.

The bigger lesson was exposure balance. Heavy Falcons stacks were punished. Balanced builds around Vitality plus a semifinal team performed better.

What Went Right

Vitality as safest champion Match volume emphasis Third place decider importance apEX as value core.

5 Vitality-Trophey-PGL.webp

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What we underestimated was PARIVISION's playoff composure and The MongolZ's arena confidence.

Final Takeaway: CS2 Predictions and What They Taught Us

Playoffs reward structure, map veto control, and economic discipline. Star power alone is not enough.

Choose battles wisely with safe anchors like Vitality. Separate from the pack only when the tactical case supports it. That is how you build monthly rankings instead of chasing chaos.