FaZe, Astralis at risk after day one of Stake Ranked

On the opening day of Stake Ranked Episode 4 on January 10, 2026, FaZe and Astralis both lost their opening matches, creating immediate pressure on their Singapore Major qualification prospects. The event awards ranking points that factor into direct invites for the Major.

Nemiga defeated FaZe in a two-map series. FaZe led 9-2 on Mirage but won only three of the next 17 rounds as Nemiga recovered to take the map. On Ancient, Nemiga recovered from a 0-3 start, won seven attack rounds and converted a 10-5 lead after the side swap to close the map 13-11 and the series.

A ranking simulator tracking Major qualification probabilities showed FaZe’s projected chance falling into the mid-40s after the loss; a victory in the opener would have raised their projection to roughly 77 percent.

Individual statistics reflected the upset. Nemiga’s top player recorded 43 kills and several Nemiga players posted ratings around or above 1.20. FaZe’s highest rating in the match was just above 1.10 and most teammates finished below 1.00.

Alliance beat Astralis in three maps. Alliance recovered to win Inferno after trailing early, suffered a heavy loss on Cache, then erased a 5-9 deficit on Nuke to clinch the series. The result is a setback for Astralis amid a dip in form; the team retains ranking points and further events to influence its Major chances.

Luminosity defeated B8 and BIG edged fnatic in their openers. Luminosity and BIG are scheduled to meet in the upper-bracket semi-final. Day two matches are set as Astralis versus FaZe, B8 versus fnatic, Luminosity versus BIG, and Alliance versus Nemiga.

Stake Ranked Episode 4 continues to distribute ranking points that will affect which teams receive direct invites to the Singapore Major and which must pursue other qualification routes.

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