BLAST.tv Talent give their bold predictions for 2024
With 2023 now behind us, it's time to look ahead to 2024, and how better to do that than by cracking out the crystal ball?
Back at BLAST Premier World Final we asked members of our wonderful talent team to give us their bold predictions for the year of Counter-Strike action ahead.
With their answers collected, we double-checked it with Anders and the simulation, but the machinery fried when we told them that a couple of the bold predictions conflicted with each other.
So, without further ado, let's see the bold predictions that broke the simulation.
Talents' bold predictions for 2024
Pimp: NAVI and Heroic will struggle
"NAVI is not going to win a trophy next year with the way they're currently playing, for sure. I don't even think they'll make a final next year to be completely honest. Heroic won't be a top-four team either. I also think Vitality will win at least three more trophies next year."
Anders: The people who hate CS2 will be proved wrong
There are so many ways to go with this one. Are the Brits going to win a Major? A British Counter-Strike player winning a Major... maybe... could Liquid win the Major? Possibly.
The game will continue to grow, but it seems to year on year. So instead, I'll say that all the people currently hating on CS2 will be proved wrong.
Photo: Michal KonkolHenryG: Team Liquid will win the first CS2 Major
"Team Liquid will win the next Major. They've had a really rough 2023 and made some poor decisions in a managerial capacity, but they've rectified those mistakes and brought in world-class talent. They've realised that Liquid deserve championships, it's a prestigious organisation that has a glorious history within CS."
Freya: Astralis will be a top-three team in the World
"Astralis will be one of the top three teams in the world by the end of 2024. I think it's a fucking spicy mix of players and I'm really excited to see them.
I think they're going to have some deep runs, and already, blameF and device are such a good duo and stavn and jabbi are so good too. Maybe I'm misguided by the Heroic level of consistency they had for such a long time, but I think this is what's going to truly reignite national Danish CS."
Banks: NAVI will be the number one team in the World
"NAVI will find their form and become the number one team team.
NAVI have a system, they are playing the long game and they know what it takes to reach the top. Right now saying this people will say I am crazy but we have to remember that outside of Aleksib and b1t, the experience on this team isn’t that high but they are starting to find their form.
B1ad3 said it himself that this is all about the potential and with more time that potential will have a chance of taking them back to the top…or at least I hope."
Photo: Michal KonkolLaunders: donk can be the best player in the World in 2024
"In terms of players, it's going to be donk. He says he's been playing 14-16 hours a day and has dropped down to 10-12 from playing in tier one with Spirit. He's played two LANs, won them both, beat VP in both finals and made the first BO5 reverse sweep in history on LAN, he's 16, so next year he's going to dominate.
After seeing what ZywOo did in his rookie year, donk can be the number one player next year."