On January 14 at 01:51, Aurora Gaming secured progression to the second stage of the closed qualifiers for BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 by defeating HOTU.
The victory guarantees Aurora Gaming a place in the next round of the tournament's closed qualifying bracket. Closed qualifiers are staged competitions that determine which teams will fill remaining spots at the main BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 event.
For Aurora Gaming, the win is an important step toward the main event and a confidence boost as they prepare to face tougher opponents in the upcoming stage. The team will use the interim period to refine strategies and lineups ahead of their next matches.
HOTU, having lost this encounter, will need to reassess and regroup. While this result halts their immediate progress in this particular closed qualifier match, teams often use such setbacks to make adjustments and pursue other qualification routes where available.
As the closed qualifiers progress, further results will clarify which squads advance to the main BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 competition. Additional updates will follow as more matches are played and teams move through the bracket.