Spring Finals preview: Can Vitality keep up the pace?

The BLAST.tv Paris Major was a resounding success and saw Vitality and ZywOo crowned as Major champions for the first time. While we’re all still revelling in that, Spring Final is just days away and it’s time to turn our attention towards the event.

The favourites

Starting with our Major champions, Vitality come into the tournament as inarguable favourites. Playing at a level we’ve never seen from this roster, Vitality couldn’t put a foot wrong in Paris and they were equally as strong at IEM Rio just before. A roster at peak performance, we can’t wait to see them over in Washington.

Vitality faced NAVI in the 2022 BLAST Premier Spring Final in Lisbon. Can the French org take the trophy in Washington? Photo: Stephanie Lindgren

Their closest competitors will likely be Heroic. The Danish roster will be disappointed with not making it to the final in Paris, so you can be sure they’ll be looking to bounce back at Spring Finals. cadiaN knows his story is yet to be completed, but can he write another successful chapter this time round?

FaZe too will be disappointed by their time at the Major. Although they were knocked out by one of the best teams in the world in Heroic, this team of legends will have been hoping for far more from the final CS:GO Major. An unpredictable team, when FaZe are on, there isn’t a team in the world that can stop them.

However, no one will be as disappointed by their time in Paris as G2. The best team in the world at the start of 2023, they failed to make the playoffs at the Major with a troubled display in the Legends stage. A team packed full of firepower, G2 remains a team that can never be counted out of trophy contention.

The Dark Horses

Another team with bags of firepower, Cloud9 will be playing with a point to prove in Washington. After missing out on the Major entirely, doubts have been cast over this roster and it’s leadership, but the Spring Showdown winners deserve their spot here, and with sh1ro and Ax1Le leading the way, anything is possible.

I'll likely require more than a Batman mask for in-game leader karrigan to take FaZe all the way. Photo: Stephanie Lindgren

A team seemingly on the up, Astralis look an entirely new team since the promotion of Altekz from their academy team. With device’s return also bolstering their firepower, they might not yet have returned to their glory days, but a strong performance in Washington will do more than enough to show fans that they’re on the right track.

The sole American team at the event, Complexity were invited following NAVI dropping out of the event. While they will be playing without their usual AWPer hallzerk, they will be determined to play in front of their home crowd, and that could prove fatal for the opposition.

Last but not least, we have Imperial. With their captain FalleN potentially in his swansong year, Imperial will look to cause an upset in Washington, and with JOTA and chelo serving as formidable back up, they just might have the talent to do so.