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We shift our focus to the PGL Masters Bucharest 2025, one of the most prestigious offline CS2 tournaments of the year. Featuring 12 of the world’s best Valve teams alongside 4 regional qualifier winners, the event boasts a total prize pool of $1,250,000, with $625,000 going directly to the players.
Today’s spotlight is on the quarterfinal matchup between Aurora Gaming and B8. Both teams have fought their way through the group stage to reach this point — Aurora showcasing sharp aim and aggressive map control, while the Ukrainian squad B8 impressed with their structured setups and steady performance across key maps like Mirage and Overpass.
With a semifinal spot on the line, this clash promises intense action and tactical precision. Every round will matter, as Aurora Gaming and B8 battle to keep their championship hopes alive at PGL Masters Bucharest 2025.
How The Bookie View It: Aurora Gaming in Favour
Ahead of the upcoming clash at PGL Masters Bucharest 2025 between Aurora Gaming and B8, the bookmakers have set their odds, indicating a clear favourite. Aurora Gaming is listed at 1.64 for a victory, while B8 sits at 2.23. This sets the stage for a tense and competitive match as both teams fight to secure an important win and strengthen their position in the tournament.
B8 form. What result can be expected from B8
Our betting tips and CS2 picks for the B8 vs paiN matchup begin with analyzing B8 form. Considered a potential dark horse of the tournament, B8 came in as a tier 2–3 level team and started racking up wins at the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025. They advanced through Stage 1 with three straight victories and now sit in the 2–1 bracket in Stage 2. This turnaround was made possible by their extensive tournament participation and dedicated training.
Throughout the 2024 season, B8 achieved several notable results for a club of its size. They placed in the top four at both the RES Eastern European Masters: Spring 2024 and RES European Series #2. Mid-year, they won several tier-B tournaments, becoming champions of CCT Season 2 European Series #2, Elisa Invitational Spring 2024, and CCT Season 2 European Series #5.
- B8 roster: kensizor, npl, esenthial, headtr1ck, alex666.
B8 is a relatively young team, but their tournament participation is impressive. With such a high volume of matches, they’re a reliable pick for CS2 betting picks. In 2024 alone, they played in 50 tournaments—too many to detail here—so we’ll focus on the most significant ones. They competed in CCT Season 2: European Series #12 and #13, finishing in the top 8.
Right before the Shanghai Major 2024: European RMR B, they placed top 4 at Elisa Masters Espoo 2024 and took 2nd place at ESL Challenger Katowice 2024.
At the PW Shanghai Major 2024: European RMR B, B8 Long started with a loss to Team Spirit, which was expected. They then fell to Aurora, who ranked higher in the HLTV standings. B8 ultimately finished in the top 16 of the RMR.
B8 entered the 2025 season with new goals and renewed motivation. They began with the BLAST Bounty Spring 2025: Closed Qualifier, finishing in the top 32 after a loss to G2. They then reached the top 8 in CCT Season 2 European Series #16, top 4 in Series #17, and claimed victory in Series #18—one of their biggest wins of the season.
Leading up to BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, B8 participated in more events, including the CCT Season 2 Global Finals, where they earned top-2 and top-3 finishes at MESA Nomadic Masters Spring 2025, and won the ESL Challenger League Season 49: Europe. They qualified for the Major through the European qualifiers, finishing approximately 6th.
As mentioned earlier, B8 made a strong impression in the first stage of BLAST.tv Austin Major, finishing with a 3–0 record and proving themselves as a competitive and capable team. However, in the second stage of the tournament, the team played somewhat worse, dropping out with a 2-3 record and finishing 17-19th.
B8 performed well at StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2025. Although the team started with a loss and fell to the lower bracket, they played well there. In the first match, they defeated OG 2-1, in the Lower Bracket Quarterfinals beat Passion UA 2-0, in the Lower Bracket Semifinal defeated M8 2-1. In the Lower Bracket Final, the team played against a stronger opponent — Ninjas in Pyjamas — and although they played quite well, they lost 0-2, finishing 3rd at the tournament.
B8 also played at ESL Pro League Season 22 and CS Asia Championships 2025, but unsuccessfully, finishing top-19 and top-16 respectively.
B8 Map Pool
Over the past three months, the Ukrainian team B8 has shown stable results across various maps. Their most successful map is Mirage, with a 72.7% win rate, making it their primary pick. Next comes Overpass with 66.7%, indicating strong tactical awareness and confident map control. Ancient remains a balanced battleground with a 50% win rate. The team shows less consistency on Train (42.9%) and Inferno (37.5%), while their most challenging map appears to be Dust2, where they manage only a 30% win rate.
Aurora Gaming form. What result can be expected from Aurora Gaming
Aurora Gaming in 2025 has quickly established itself as one of the leading teams on the European CS2 scene, showing stability, strategic discipline, and the ability to adapt to high-pressure situations. A major development occurred in April, when the organization replaced its previous roster with the Turkish squad Eternal Fire, aiming to strengthen the team and secure better sponsorship conditions. The new lineup is led by the experienced captain MAJ3R, with star riflers XANTARES, Wicadia, sharpshooter woxic, and support player jottAAA.
- Aurora Gaming’s 2025 roster: MAJ3R, XANTARES, woxic, Wicadia, jottAAA.
The coaching staff includes Fabre, whose analytical approach has helped improve communication, tactical coordination, and map control. The team has quickly integrated these changes, showing strong synergy and consistent individual performances, which are reflected in their results on the international stage.
Since the roster change, Aurora Gaming has delivered notable results across multiple tournaments. They started the season with a 5th–6th place finish at Intel Extreme Masters Dallas 2025, followed by a challenging 12th–14th at BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025. At Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2025, the team placed 9th–12th, before showing stronger performances at the BLAST Bounty Fall 2025: Closed Qualifier (2–0 record) and 5th–8th at BLAST Bounty Fall 2025, demonstrating improving synergy and tactical execution.
August saw Aurora continue to impress, finishing 2nd at the Esports World Cup 2025, earning $230,000, while in September they placed 5th–8th at FISSURE Playground #2. October brought further progress with 9th–11th at ESL Pro League Season 22 and 4th at the Thunderpick World Championship 2025, highlighting consistent teamwork, map control, and clutch potential.
Throughout the season, MAJ3R has provided leadership and strategic vision, while XANTARES and Wicadia consistently deliver fragging power. woxic excels in taking key duels, and jottAAA offers reliable support and map control. This combination has allowed Aurora to implement diverse tactical approaches and adapt efficiently to different styles of opponents.
Aurora Gaming capped this period with a landmark victory at PGL Masters Bucharest 2025, convincingly defeating Fnatic 2–0, confirming their status as one of Europe’s most formidable CS2 teams. In the second match of the tournament, Aurora Gaming defeated Team Liquid 2–1, managing a comeback despite losing the first map. In their third match, the Turkish team unexpectedly suffered a 2-0 defeat against HEROIC, bringing their tournament record to 2-1.
Aurora Gaming Map Pool
Aurora Gaming has shown notable strengths across different maps over the past three months. Their best performances have come on Train, where they boast an impressive 80.0% win rate, demonstrating strong coordination and control in mid-to-late rounds. On Inferno and Overpass, the team has maintained solid results with 62.5% victories on each, reflecting their ability to execute tactical strategies effectively. Their results on Mirage (46.2%) and Dust2 (45.5%) are more mixed, while Nuke has proven to be the team’s least comfortable map at 41.7%, suggesting room for improvement in adapting to complex rotations and utility usage. Overall, these statistics highlight Aurora’s map preferences and their potential to dominate in matches where their strengths align with the map pool.
Head-to-Head: Aurora Gaming vs B8
Aurora Gaming has maintained complete dominance over B8 in their CS2 encounters, winning all five recorded matches without dropping a single map — a clean 9:0 map score across all series. The teams last met on November 21, 2024, during the Perfect World Shanghai Major Europe RMR B, where Aurora once again secured victory with a 1-0 scoreline. Earlier, in the ESL Challenger League Season 48 on July 18, 2024, Aurora swept B8 2-0 in Group C. This consistent performance highlights Aurora’s tactical superiority and composure under pressure, while B8 continues to seek their first-ever win against their regional rivals.
Match Prediction: Aurora Gaming vs B8 – Quarterfinal at PGL Masters Bucharest 2025
Given the teams’ current form and historical head-to-head record, Aurora Gaming enters this matchup as a clear favorite. The Turkish-led roster has displayed remarkable consistency and strategic depth in recent months, achieving solid results against top-tier opponents and showing exceptional map control, particularly on Train and Inferno. Their disciplined coordination and individual skill give them a strong edge in best-of-three scenarios.
B8, while showing noticeable growth and resilience throughout 2025, still lacks the firepower and experience needed to consistently challenge teams of Aurora’s caliber. Their best chance lies in capitalizing on Aurora’s weaker maps like Nuke or Mirage, where they can exploit gaps in coordination and tempo control. However, considering Aurora’s flawless 9–0 map record in past meetings and superior tactical structure, a 2–0 or 2–1 win in favor of Aurora Gaming appears to be the most likely outcome.
Betting prediction: Aurora Gaming wins.
