Semi-final day! The teams are ready for playoffs
We're now halfway through BLAST Premier Fall Final 2023, and we're down to our last four teams.
With those four teams now preparing to step foot on the Royal Arena stage, let's take a look at how they got there and some key stats.
15.30: Semi-final 1
Cloud9 vs Vitality
Vitality
Group B's winners Vitality seem to be utterly unaffected by the recent changes to their lineup following wins over Heroic and Complexity.
That being said, the team will be hoping for more from new signing mezii, he is their lowest-rated player at the event so far, with a 1.00 HLTV rating.
However, they do have Spinx and flameZ in fine form. At 1.38 and 1.20 HLTV rating respectively, they are both looking strong in the top ten highest-rated players at the event.
More importantly, ZywOo is also back to playing at his 2023 CS:GO standards. Coach XTQZZZ said he has 'expected more from him', and the AWPer is delivering with a 1.38 HLTV rating.
If the trio keeps this form up, it will be a surprise if we don't see Maniac's prediction of Vitality appearing in the grand final come true.
Photo: Michal KonkolCloud9
Cloud9 had to book their spot in the Royal Arena through Group A's lower bracket after beating NAVI and falling against FaZe. Their quarter-final was played against Heroic, which the Russians wrapped up with a clean 2-0.
electroNic has been their hard carry thus far. With a 1.38 HLTV rating, he stands with ZywOo and Spinx as the highest-rated players at the event.
Encouragingly, Ax1Le is their second highest-rated player. Ranked as the fourth-best player in the world by HLTV in 2022, the rifler has been out of sorts this year, but his impact and 1.08 HLTV rating suggest he might be returning to his best.
The worry for Cloud9 comes further down the team when you see that HObbit has a 0.93 HLTV rating and Boombl4 is the second lowest-rated player of the event at 0.80.
Both of these men will have to step up a level to face Vitality.
Photo: Stephanie Lindgren18.30 CET Semi-final 2
FaZe vs Complexity
FaZe
FaZe has been the dominant force in CS2 thus far, and that doesn't look like changing here at Fall Final.
Winners of Group A, did so by beating the new-look NIP squad and Cloud9.
Considering ropz has been getting all the plaudits for his strong start to CS2, FaZe will be encouraged because he is currently their third-highest-rated player at the event.
ropz sits at an impressive 1.19 HLTV rating, just ahead of broky's 1.18, but the duo are dwarfed by Twistzz and rain who are sitting at 1.24 and 1.21 respectively.
It will be a challenging task for anyone to take down FaZe in this form, but their opponents in the semi-finals already have a reason to want revenge.
Photo: Michal KonkolComplexity
When IEM Sydney hosted the first CS2 tournament, no one expected Complexity to be the defeated finalists.
With expectations raised for Fall Final, the NA side has delivered, and despite a loss against Vitality, they have looked strong throughout. With an extra layer of grit to their game, they could easily be the team to rain on FaZe's CS2 parade.
Photo: Stephanie LindgrenKey to that will be EliGE, the NA GOAT has been a revelation since joining the team and his 1.26 HLTV rating makes him comfortably their highest-rated player.
JT has been making impressive calls throughout the event, but if Complexity are to get their revenge, he will need to get more out of his AWPer, hallzerk.
The Norwegian came up clutch in their match against NAVI, but his 1.00 HLTV rating needs to be improved for Complexity to stand a chance against the might of FaZe.