Winio Went 25/25 on Day 1 of the EWC 2026 Open Qualifier
The Winio model correctly predicted the winner of all 25 matches it covered on Day 1 of the EWC 2026 Open Qualifier, finishing the day with 100% accuracy.
August 8, 202607:42 AM
100 Thieves Upset Falcons, Then Fall to Nuclear TigeRES
100 Thieves produced one of the biggest surprises of BLAST Bounty Season 2 by defeating Falcons, only to exit the StarSeries Fall qualifier against Nuclear TigeRES the following day. The contrasting results offered an early look at both the potential and instability of the organization’s new CS2 roster.
Against Falcons, 100 Thieves recovered after losing Nuke 4–13 and entering the second half of the Anubis decider 3–9 behind. Under Gizmy’s calling, the team won eight consecutive T-side rounds before sirah secured the 13–11 victory with a 1v3 clutch. The result eliminated the reigning Cologne Major champions from their first tournament after the player break.
The following day, 100 Thieves faced Nuclear TigeRES in a StarSeries Fall elimination match. They let three map points slip on Ancient before losing 15–19 in double overtime, responded with a 13–8 victory on Mirage and then lost the Inferno decider 7–13.
Rain recorded a 1.66 HLTV Rating 3.0 performance on Mirage, but 100 Thieves could not carry that momentum into the final map. Gizmy finished the series with a 0.81 rating, while Nuclear TigeRES rifler flouzer led the server with 1.27.
Winio Analysis
The Falcons victory showed that 100 Thieves already have enough individual quality and tactical flexibility to challenge elite opposition. Recovering from 3–9 on the decider and sustaining an eight-round T-side run against the reigning Major champions cannot be reduced to the final clutch alone.
The defeat to Nuclear TigeRES demonstrated why one upset should not immediately change the team’s expected level. 100 Thieves failed to convert three map points on Ancient and could not recover when Inferno moved away from them. Their strongest performance remains evidence of potential rather than consistent form.
Missing StarSeries Fall also removes a valuable opportunity to face teams including Vitality, FURIA and NAVI at a $500,000 LAN. For a new roster trying to improve its position in the Valve Regional Standings, losing access to those matches may prove more consequential than the immediate qualifier result.
