Stage 3 of the Ukrainian Championship in CS2 brought together 16 teams across four groups. The group stage was played in a Double Elimination format, the playoffs in Single Elimination. Among the participants were academies of top organizations, experienced teams from previous stages, and new contenders. But in the end, everything came down to a final between two teams that had gone through the tournament without a single loss.
Group Stage
In Group A, Fever Squad took first place undefeated, beating both ElNapo and IC Prospect. IC Prospect fought back through the lower bracket and finished second — winning their decisive match against ElNapo 2:0 with scores of 13:10 and 13:2.
Group B will be remembered for a thriller. winstonblue snatched a 2:1 victory over Erlamand Academy in the decisive lower bracket match — the third map ended 13:11. LFO UKRAINE went through the group without dropping a match and finished first.
Group C was the most intense. KLG LFO beat Sicarios 2:1 in their opening match with scores of 10:13, 16:14, 16:14. EMPIRE, after a technical win over Family, then beat KLG LFO 2:1 in a fierce contest and finished first.
Group D — complete domination by B8 Academy. A demolition of 262plus 4 with scores of 13:3 and 13:1, followed by 13:7 and 13:2 over LeeK NXT. First place without dropping a single map.
Playoffs
The quarterfinals produced several interesting matches. winstonblue knocked out EMPIRE 2:0. Anteiku eliminated Fever Squad 2:0. LFO UKRAINE beat KLG LFO 2:1, taking the first map and fighting back. B8 Academy dispatched IC Prospect 2:0 — 13:9 and 13:6.
In the semifinals, LFO UKRAINE staged a comeback against Anteiku — losing the first map 7:13, then winning the next two 13:10 and 13:4. B8 Academy beat winstonblue 2:0 — 13:9 twice.
Grand Final
B8 Academy vs LFO UKRAINE. First map — 16:14, tight until the very last round. Second — 13:7, dominant. B8 Academy are the Stage 3 champions, 2:0. 50,000 hryvnias and +50 positions in the Valve ranking.
The Winner — A Word from the Captain
New B8 Academy captain kloberg shares his impressions.
First experience on HLTV — and straight to a win. How does it feel? Did you expect this result?
“The feeling is great, but this is just the first step. We didn’t have much time to practice — I only just joined the roster. But we’ve already found a connection and a playstyle that suits us, because each player individually is strong in their roles. The win wasn’t a huge surprise to me — we just played good CS, even if not without mistakes.”
What are the plans for the next stage?
“Keep practicing. After the win, other teams will probably start studying our demos, so we need to actively update our stratbook, fix mistakes, and become even more consistent.”
What is the team’s main advantage?
“The individual skill of the players — that allows us to comfortably play any style of CS. We don’t need to rely on scripts. We can play slow, structured CS and switch to a maximally aggressive tempo when needed.”
Impact on the Valve Ranking
Stage 3 matches carry VRS status — they count toward the official Valve ranking. B8 Academy gained +48 positions in the world ranking for the win. This means every match at the Ukrainian Championship isn’t just about prize money — it’s about a real place in the international CS2 hierarchy.
The Ukrainian Championship as a Launchpad for Academies
One of the Ukrainian Championship’s main outcomes is the progress that academy teams have shown from stage to stage.
B8 Academy had the most striking run: a semifinal at Stage 1, a quarterfinal at Stage 2 — and a championship at Stage 3. This isn’t a coincidence — it’s the result of systematic work and accumulated experience.
Inner Circle Academy reached the final as far back as Stage 1, confirming that the IC academy is one of the strongest on the Ukrainian scene. Inner Circle Prospect stopped at the quarterfinals of Stage 3 this time around, but simply making the playoffs speaks to their level of preparation.
The Ukrainian Championship gives academies something that can’t be replicated in practice — real, official VRS-status matches, experience playing under pressure, and the opportunity to make a name for themselves on an international platform.
Summary and Stage 4 Announcement
Stage 3 is complete. B8 Academy are the champions, LFO UKRAINE finished second, Anteiku and winstonblue ended in the top 4. But the season continues. Stage 4 is already waiting — and every team that wants to improve their result or confirm their level will have that opportunity. Registration is open at events.uesf.org.ua.
