Aurora vs. Liquid at IEM Beijing 2026:A Second Chance Six Days Later
Aurora edged Liquid 2-1 in Bucharest on October 27. The same ten players meet again in Group B's opening round in Beijing.
On October 27 in Bucharest, Aurora beat Liquid 2-1 to reach the PGL Masters playoffs. Two of the three maps were decided by two and three rounds. Six days later the same ten players meet again, this time in Group B's opening round in Beijing.
Match
Aurora vs. LiquidTournament
IEM Beijing 2026Stage
Group B · Opening Round
Date
November 2, 2026
Time
05:30 CET · 12:30 Beijing
Format
Best of 3
Player names link to their HLTV.org profiles.
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How Close Bucharest Was
Aurora took Cache 13-10, Liquid answered with Inferno 13-11, and Aurora closed the series 13-11 on Anubis. HLTV's headline called it a win Aurora had to "eke out". Liquid's event did not end there, and it was better than their ranking of 23rd suggests: they had already beaten MOUZ 2-1 and Legacy 2-0. Their tournament ended against FURIA, who went on to reach the final.
Aurora Keep Reaching the Final Weekend
Aurora are fifth in the world and one of the most consistent teams of the autumn, though still without a trophy from it. They finished third at ESL Pro League Season 24, third again at the Thunderpick World Championship, and reached the quarter-finals in Bucharest, where MOUZ beat them 2-0. Wicadia was one of the Pro League's standout players (EVP, 1.23 Rating 3.0).
Two Lineups Still Settling In
Both teams are about three months into new versions of their lineups. Aurora added Jimpphat and in-game leader kyxsan, with MAJ3R moving to the bench. Liquid brought in JT to call and Jorko on the AWP around veterans NAF and EliGE. Bucharest was the biggest test for both new cores so far, and Monday continues it.
Where the Maps Point
Inferno is the map to watch. It was Liquid's win in Bucharest and their best map over the past three months (82% over 11 maps). Mirage is close behind for Liquid (80%). Aurora's strongest recent map is Anubis (75% over 12), the map that decided the last meeting.
What's at Stake
The winner faces the winner of PARIVISION vs. G2 in Group B's upper-bracket semi-finals. The loser drops into the lower bracket and can't afford another defeat.
More IEM Beijing 2026 Coverage
See all 16 teams, both groups, the full schedule and every result.
