FUT captain Aulon ‘Krabeni’ Fazlija isn’t dressing up the BLAST Rivals Fort Worth result, but he isn’t accepting it as a real measure either. Speaking after FUT’s IEM Atlanta opener — a 2-0 win over NRG with lauNX back in the lineup — Krabeni framed the BLAST exit as a side note caused by lauNX’s absence rather than a structural collapse.
The PGL Bucharest peak
Before BLAST Rivals, FUT had been one of 2026’s biggest risers: 4th at ESL Pro League S23, then the PGL Bucharest 2026 title with a 3-1 grand final win over Astralis (13-5 Ancient, 13-5 Mirage, 13-3 Dust2, only Nuke dropped in OT) and clean 3-0 group play with playoff wins over B8 and The MongolZ.
The BLAST context
Then lauNX’s health issue forced him out. Coach coolio stood in. FUT still pushed Vitality to a 2-1 — including ending Vitality’s 17-match winning streak on Dust2 — but lost 0-2 to Astralis and finished last. Krabeni explained that once lauNX’s diagnosis became clear, FUT mentally wrote off the event. ‘We had nothing to lose,’ he said. ‘Even finishing last was not a disaster.’
The NRG win as the real signal
FUT opened IEM Atlanta 2-0 over NRG (16-13 Ancient from a 3-10 deficit, 13-9 Overpass). Krabeni admitted the team had only two practice games with lauNX before the match — timing and coordination were rough — but they won anyway. The official Atlanta target is the playoffs. The IEM Cologne Major preparation continues from home, with no bootcamp planned after a long stretch on the road earlier this season.
