We couldn't ask for a better conclusion of BLAST Premier ‘23 Spring Groups than the absolutely outstanding Day 11, bringing the final portion of the finest Counter-Strike thrill to your screens before the season moves on to the Showdown.

If you missed the action, here’s the recap.

HEROIC BURN BIG TO PUNCH TICKET TO DC

The final day started with BIG learning the hard way that choosing Vertigo against Heroic might not have been the best idea. In an exceptionally confident and comprehensive victory that had all the Danish players shining through, Heroic demolished BIG with a score of 16:3.

The second chapter of the tale between BIG and Heroic was very different from the opening one, as this time, the Germans put pen to paper and wrote the script on Ancient. In a game of streaks, Heroic showed numerous signs of weaknesses while BIG dictated the tempo, presenting a demanding and pacy game, especially on the T side. Led by sysroN’s great efforts, BIG stole Ancient from Heroic with a 16:12 scoreline.

On decider Inferno, Heroic burned BIG out of this series to finally punch their ticket to the US capital. The Germans almost had us believing in a potential comeback in the second half on the T side, but the 12:3 score from the first half was just too much to bounce back from. Heroic’s polished game, along with stavn’s excellent aim, came to fruition in the form of a 16:10 result, sending BIG to fight for the Spring Final spot in the Showdown.

ASTRALIS SHUT DOWN OG TO CLAIM SPRING FINAL SPOT

The last Spring Groups match between OG and Astralis was a nerve-wracking one, starting with the incredibly close first game on Astralis’ pick Inferno. Initially, it looked like a good start on the T side for Astralis, finally showing us the quality Counter-Strike we all expect them to play. Strikingly though, OG rebounded to turn the score around with a respectable 10-round win streak. It all came down to Round 30’s tight clutch, in which OG crumbled under pressure before nexa delivered the final kill to steal the map with a finishing score of 16:14.

The tight game continued back and forth on the second map but with a reverted scenario, where it looked like Vertigo was in the hands of OG before the Danes pulled off a massive comeback on the T side to steal the map away. Things came down to Round 30 again, but this time, it was dev1ce who made the final shot to take the fight to Ancient.

The third and final map was a very definition of an emotional rollercoaster, with Astralis once again starting strong on the T side before OG decided at 1:10 that it was time to bounce back and take things into overtime. Unfortunately for OG, they will have to continue their fight in the Spring Showdown, because Astralis closed the map at 19:17 to win the series and claim that last remaining Spring Final slot.