Team Vitality Edges Out FaZe in BLAST Premier Fall Finals
This week’s BLAST Premier Fall Final was one of 2023’s most anticipated Counter-Strike 2 events. Eight world-class teams competed for glory in Copenhagen at this live LAN event. Hordes of excited fans attended, and hundreds of thousands of viewers watched. Let’s recap the upsets, clutch rounds, and unforgettable moments that made the BLAST Premier Fall Final special – and the intense matches that led to Team Vitality’s win.
The Quarterfinals: Complexity Gaming vs. Natus Vincere and Cloud9 vs. Heroic
Group A runners-up Complexity Gaming and Natus Vincere faced off on Anubis, Overpass and Nuke. Natus Vincere started strong with a 13-10 win on Anubis, and fans applauded b1t’s impressive performance. However, Complexity Gaming returned with a vengeance and delivered a crushing 13-6 win on Overpass. Natus Vincere could not recover from the upset and lost Nuke 10-13, leaving Complexity Gaming with the coveted semifinal spot. EliGE was a key player and significantly impacted every match, making Complexity Gaming proud.
Meanwhile, Group B teams Cloud9 and Heroic fought on Nuke and Inferno. Cloud9 emerged from Nuke with a 13-11 victory. On Heroic’s end, Zyphon and dupreeh fragged out with a 26/16 and 23/17 K/D respectively, but Cloud9 exhibited superior strategy. As Cloud9 became more confident and cohesive on Inferno, they swiftly defeated Heroic 13-5. The team demolished Heroic on the T-side, winning 9-3, and were just as comfortable on defense as they secured the game with a 4-round streak. Cloud9 was in the zone, and HObbit and electroNic were star players in the Inferno game who capitalized on the team’s insane coordination.
The Semifinals: FaZe Clan vs. Complexity Gaming and Cloud9 vs. Team Vitality
FaZe Clan and Complexity Gaming battled on Anubis, Overpass and Ancient. Anubis ended in a close 13-10 win for FaZe Clan, though Complexity Gaming’s EliGE and Grim performed well. Complexity Gaming put up a fight and redeemed themselves with a 13-5 game on Nuke, but FaZe Clan was up to the challenge. FaZe Clan dominated on Ancient and ended the game with a solid 13-7 score, securing a place in the Grand Finals. FaZe Clan’s rain and broky deserve applause for their particularly nasty 1-v-4 clutches on this map. The team played well under a numerical disadvantage and during thrifty buys, which contributed to their massive success.
As the tournament proceeded, Cloud9 and Team Vitality began their semifinal duel on Mirage. This game was evenly matched and descended into overtime – Team Vitality pulled through with a hard-fought 16 - 13 win. Nuke went more smoothly for Cloud9, who earned a 13-9 victory. Watchers noted Cloud9 Boombl4’s impressive clutch moments and his insane skill with the MP9. It was impossible to predict which team would prevail after these extremely close first two matches, so fans anticipated the next game on Inferno. Cloud9 and Team Vitality performed relatively closely until round twenty when Team Vitality became comfortable in their T-side performance and delivered a stellar 4-round win streak. Team Vitality ended their semifinal match with a 2-1 win and earned their spot in the Grand Finals.
The Grand Finals: FaZe Clan vs. Team Vitality
FaZe Clan and Team Vitality dueled on Vertigo and Nuke in the final intense showdown of the tournament. Team Vitality completely quashed FaZe Clan’s strategy on Vertigo in an insane 13-3 sweep. At round 23 of Nuke, Team Vitality and FaZe Clan were in an 11-11 dead heat. Team Vitality opted for a calculated strategy on this vital eco round – after buying 4 Glock-18s and a single AK-47, the team flooded and eliminated FaZe Clan’s ropz. Though Team Vitality lost star player ZywOo in the process, he was swiftly traded for broky after he whiffed an important AWP shot. With shiny new guns and a numerical advantage, Team Vitality finally had the edge they needed to pull ahead to a score of 13-11 and an impressive 2-0 overall victory.
The Copenhagen crowd went wild – Team Vitality officially conquered the 2023 BLAST Premier Fall Final. While Team Vitality won the overall trophy, fans saw admirable performances from all of 2023’s contenders. Cloud9 fans applauded the team’s success even after recent roster changes, and FaZe Clan lived up to fans’ high expectations and upheld their formidable reputation. Heroic, Team Vitality, FaZe Clan, Natus Vincere and Cloud9 will all meet again at the 2023 BLAST Premier: World Final – this win adds to Team Vitality’s growing list of titles and means they will arrive at the upcoming World Final with both the BLAST.tv Paris Major and the Fall Final under their belt. If this tournament is any indicator, fans can expect a similarly intense experience. For now, Team Vitality has earned their place atop the throne – but stay tuned to see if they can keep it.
Gabby is a Marketing major at DeSales University and a member of the DeSales University Varsity Valorant team. Aside from Esports, she loves painting, cooking and writing.