As the craziest rostermania of all time comes to a close, BLAST Premier Fall Groups is finally upon us and we can’t wait to get started.

Almost every team in the groups has made at least one change coming into the event, and with so many unknown quantities, it’s sure to be a banger.

With ten days of Counter-Strike action upon us, let’s quickly run down all the groups and what you can expect from each one.

A new era for NA in Group A

The biggest story coming into Group A is the new era it opens for North American Counter-Strike. Team Liquid are no longer the big dogs of the region, and with EliGE now a member of Complexity, they will be looking to make it clear that they are here to bring pride to their region once more.

However, they won’t do so without a fight. Evil Geniuses will enter the group also keen to stake a claim to be NA’s number one team, and although the promotion of their academy roster suggests a level of inexperience, the youth that now represents the organisation could also bring the hunger required to snatch the top spot and become the best in NA.

BLAST.tv Paris Major winners Vitality will also be present, albeit with flameZ in the place of legendary Dane, dupreeh. A team that pounced when talent was available, their sustained hunger even despite winning a Major is admirable, and while they might be overshadowed by NA in terms of narrative, they’ll be sure not to in terms of performance.

The final group in Group A is NIP, who will be bolstered by the return of their former in-game leader, hampus. Now taking up the mantle of captain once again, and with headtr1ck constantly improving, NIP could enter the event looking like the most dangerous version of themselves we’ve seen thus far in 2023.

EliGE begins his new life with Complexity in Group A. Photo: Stephanie Lindgren

All eyes on NAVI in Group B

Group B is another group where three of the four teams have made changes, but let’s not pretend here, one of those teams changes will be met with far more anticipation than any other.

Since their inception, NAVI has been home to a Ukrainian core, but BLAST Premier Fall Groups will see the debut of their new international squadron. b1t and s1mple remain to keep the team true to their roots, but with jL, iM, and Aleksib, their levels of the bat will be anybody’s guess.

Astralis have also seen multiple changes over the break, with gla1ve and Altekz making way for b0RUP and Staehr. A roster that almost certainly won’t yet be the finished product, it will at least be one that is, on paper, worthy of its stars, and that’s more than we’ve been able to say all year.

The final team to go through changes is BIG, who have promoted academy duo s1n and prosus while also bringing mantuu back into the tier one fold. They’ve been handed a tough group, but if the recent exploits of s1n and prosus are anything to go by, they could easily find themselves being the surprise package in Copenhagen.

Rounding out the group is Heroic, one of the very few teams at BLAST Premier Fall Groups to have not made any changes during the off-season, and why would they? They play the best brand of Counter-Strike in the world, and they’re the best collection of players from their country too. If there’s any team to be scared of in this group, it’s Heroic.

Heroic won Spring Final, how will they fare at Fall Groups? Photo: Michal Konkol

Liquid’s European adventure kicks off in Group C

The biggest change for all the Group C teams is Liquid leaving behind their North American roots in favour of a European core. Just like NAVI, Liquid have been stalwarts of the region they formerly belonged to, and Fall Groups will usher in a new era for the organisation in Counter-Strike.

With YEKINDAR now permanently at the helm, it won’t just be the members of the team that are changing, and while the question remains as to whether Rainwaker can step up from 500 to tier one, they’ll be one of the most exciting teams to watch at Fall Groups 2023.

OG have also undergone massive changes, with three new players coming into the team. An opportunity to be true stars in tier one now present themselves to regali and FASHR, and much of this roster's chances of success rest upon their form if they are to thrive.

As for the final two teams, FaZe and G2, while neither of them made changes, that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth watching. Two teams labelled as inconsistent, both teams will know that their lack of changes can be used as a huge advantage as they look to ascend back to the summit of CS:GO once more.

Can FaZe get back to winning ways in the second half of the year? Photo: Michal Konkol