9z managed to equalize against Team Vitality on the European powerhouse’s own map pick during their best-of-3 series at BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 on June 12. For a South American squad trading blows with one of the most dominant rosters in Counter-Strike history, stealing a map that your opponent specifically chose is the competitive equivalent of winning an away game in the playoffs.
The result didn’t flip the series. Vitality still holds the structural advantage in these matchups, having recorded multiple 2-0 series victories against 9z during June 2026 events.
How the maps played out
The map veto process told its own story. Vitality banned Ancient and selected Nuke, a map where their utility usage and site executes have historically been suffocating. 9z countered by picking Overpass, with Inferno slotted as the potential decider.
The prediction market angle
