Thrills, comebacks, and close calls: PGL Astana 2025 grand final
The final day of PGL Astana 2025 brought fans two thrilling matches: a battle for third place and the long-awaited grand final. While the main stage crowned the tournament’s champion, it also delivered moments of heartbreak, growth, and history, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The day opened with the match for third place between Furia and Aurora. On Anubis, Aurora’s map pick, Furia took control and closed it out with a 13–10 victory. In response, the Turkish team bounced back on Inferno, Furia’s pick, showing strong play and taking the map 13–6. On the decider, Dust2, Aurora kept up their momentum, winning 13–6 and securing a 2–1 overall victory, earning them third place in the tournament.
Kazakhstan’s young star Danil “molodoy” Golubenko, playing for the Brazilian team Furia, who earlier gave an exclusive interview to Kazinform, fell just short of a podium finish but will soon be heading to Dallas with his team.
"I really wanted to win the title, because the tournament is taking place in my homeland. But, perhaps, it was a mistake, because the approach to all competitions must be the same. It was an honor for me to perform here on my home soil and show what Kazakhstani cyber athletes are capable of. I am happy with the situation here. Yes, the result did not work out, but this is a good path in my future life. I had a great experience. I think my team and I have something to achieve. We will succeed. We just need a little time," Danil said after the game.
The most anticipated match of the series, the grand final, saw Astralis, whose appearance in the final was historic in itself, take on Team Spirit, the tournament favorites.
Spirit started strong, winning their map pick with a dominant 13–5. Astralis responded with determination on the second map, Nuke, but narrowly lost 10–13 to Spirit.
The third map, Mirage, began with an even performance from both teams, raising hopes among Spirit fans. However, the Danish side held their ground, switching sides and not dropping a single round in the second half, to close the map 13–5 and keep their hopes alive.
Despite a commanding 8-round lead for Astralis in the first half of the fourth map, Spirit roared back in the second half to take the advantage. The intense battle between the two top teams continued in overtime, where Spirit prevailed with a 16–13 win, sealing the series 3–1 and taking the PGL Astana 2025 championship title.
Earlier, Kazinform correspondent reported on the outcomes of the tournament’s previous matches.
