YEKINDAR says EWC frustration helped FURIA Esports dominate pain at BLAST Open Porto

YEKINDAR says EWC frustration helped FURIA Esports dominate pain at BLAST Open Porto

FURIA Esports bounced back from their disappointing Esports World Cup finish with a dominant 2:0 victory over pain in their opening match at BLAST Open Porto 2026.

Mareks " YEKINDAR " Gaļinskis said the frustration from FURIA Esports 's missed opportunities at EWC helped motivate the team heading into the new tournament.

FURIA Esports 2:0 pain

FURIA Esports controlled the series from beginning to end.

pain struggled to establish themselves on their own Mirage pick as FURIA Esports built a commanding 10-2 first half before closing the map 13-2.

The dominance continued on Cache, where FURIA Esports secured a 13-6 victory to complete the sweep.

• Mirage — FURIA Esports 13-2 pain

• Cache — FURIA Esports 13-6 pain

The result marked FURIA Esports 's first 2:0 series victory in two months.

YEKINDAR turns frustration into motivation

YEKINDAR explained that FURIA Esports left the Esports World Cup angry with themselves after missing several opportunities to reach the grand final.

The team had lost to FUT before also falling to Legacy in the third-place match.

According to YEKINDAR , that frustration ended up helping the team reset for BLAST Open Porto.

He was particularly influential on Cache, where he handled in-game leader duties and finished the first half with an 18-7 K-D and 163.7 ADR.

YEKINDAR still sees himself as a role player

Despite taking on calling duties on several maps, YEKINDAR said he does not yet see himself becoming a full-time IGL.

He admitted that leadership is something he would like to pursue later in his career, but believes he still has plenty to contribute as an individual player.

For now, FURIA Esports 's strong opening performance provides an immediate response to the frustration of their EWC campaign.