3DMAX eliminated from PGL Masters Bucharest after humbling run

Darragh Harbinson, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 29/10/2025

3DMAX returned to earth at PGL Masters Bucharest 2025 as the French roster fell to an understrength Astralis roster.

The 2-0 defeat to the Danes resulted in 3DMAX exiting the tournament with a 1-3 overall record, losing to B8, FlyQuest, and Astralis.

Astralis dominated on Ancient, winning 13-3, before a close second map went their way following another strong T-side on Inferno.

3DMAX misses chance at silverware at PGL Masters Bucharest

3DMAX were substantial favourites in all of their contests in Bucharest, and were expected to go far.

The team came into PGL Masters Bucharest as one of the highest-ranked teams at the event. One of only two top 10 teams in the Valve Global Rankings, alongside Aurora.

The team had made notable strides after the decision to give Filip ‘Graviti’ Brankovic IGLing duties, allowing Bryan ‘Maka’ Canda to focus on AWPing and improving his output.

As a show of that improvement, they had just come off the back of their CS Asia Championships run, where they finished runners-up after an exhilarating Grand Final against Legacy.

The Bo5 could have gone either way, with Legacy pipping 3DMAX to the trophy in 3-2 fashion.

Yet they became the third team eliminated from the competition, joining NiP and mibr at the airport in Bucharest.

A 2-0 victory over Portugal’s SAW saw them start the event with a win, but that victory was followed by three defeats to underdogs in Ukraine’s young roster of B8, Australia’s FlyQuest, and Astralis, who are playing with Emil ‘Magisk’ Reif following Martin ‘stavn’ Lund stepping away from action for medical reasons.

Astralis have struggled in stavn’s absence, with the roster finding it difficult to compete with the firepower of other rosters in missing their key rifling piece.

T-sides have especially suffered, with stavn traditionally being a trading and lurking piece in the roster, by that was no issue today as Astralis won 9 T-rounds on Ancient, and 7 on Inferno.

While 3DMAX may have made Astralis look good in their contest, Astralis have shown few other signs of improvement as the StarLadder Budapest Major looms.

The roster has lost to B8 and Legacy, both 0-2 defeats, but defeated mibr and now an abject 3DMAX, who won only three maps in four Bo3s.

Speculation regarding fatigue emerged as 3DMAX’s non-stop second season of the year had taken them from ESL Pro League Season 22, straight to CAC in Shanghai, then straight back to Europe for PGL Master Bucharest.

Regardless of the reason, it is a disappointing result in one of the few Tier 1 events that 3DMAX was expected to do very well at.

Next up, they will participate, starting November 3, however, that event features the entire top 10, except for Aurora.

As far as chances at silverware go, 3DMAX may have missed their best one.

Darragh Harbinson, Senior Editor

Darragh Harbinson is an esports writer specialising in Counter-Strike. He has written for Esports News UK, Esports Insider, UKCSGO, Dexerto, and Rush B Media.

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