With the conclusion of BLAST Premier ‘23 Spring Groups Day 8, the names of all group winners proceeding straight to the Spring Final have been determined, and what’s left are the gauntlet matches that will decide who will take the remaining three slots available in this tournament.
Day 8 saw both Group B and C grand final matches go 2-0, but it wasn't short of incredible Counter-Strike moments we just can’t get enough of.
GROUP B
FAZE HUNT DOWN OG TO CLAIM THE GRAND FINAL
The first grand final map of the day was rather a close affair, as OG put in a lion’s share of the work on Faze Clan’s map pick Mirage to not give it to them so easily. The round that defined the match was the last one, when it looked like OG will take things into overtime, but instead, they missed that opportunity. With a finishing score of 16:14, FaZe reign supreme in this one.
In contrast, the following Ancient was a much quicker process that started with a promising streak for OG before FaZe responded with a streak of their own. And once they got rolling, they did not stop. Looking indestructible, they disassembled OG in 14 straight rounds, from which OG never recovered. Thanks to the ferocious form of the whole team topped by es3tag’s efforts, FaZe finished it off at 16:6 to claim the desired Spring Final slot.
GROUP C
G2 ROLL OVER NAVI TO CONTINUE DOMINANCE
The 2022 BLAST Premier World Champions G2 Esports continue their dominance in the new season, as they’re the only team who qualified for Spring Finals without losing a single map.
The first map in the Group C grand final saw a backbreaking start for Natus Vincere, as G2 hit them with a substantial lead on their map pick Inferno. The pain continued in the second half, where NiKo pulled off an unholy pistol ace to let NAVI feel the wrath of NiKo, and the entirety of G2 for that matter. NAVI couldn’t withstand the intense pressure, and the game finished with a 16:6 scoreline.
The CIS powerhouse showed up a bit better on G2’s map pick Nuke, but not even electroNic’s high frag count was enough to overcome the G2 might. While NAVI struggled, NiKo was an absolute animal from start to finish, stealing his opponents’ pride in order to secure some extraordinary stats for himself. On full speed ahead to the Spring Final, G2 claimed the map 16:10 in an unheard-of last round that left us all speechless.
