The primary CS:GO match of the brand new season ended with a banger of a collection that pit the finalists of the 2021 Stockholm Main in opposition to one another in a decider match within the BLAST Premier Fall Teams. Although a lot has modified within the intervening years, together with the vast majority of the rosters on each squads, the celebs remained in place, nonetheless shining: as soon as extra, it was s1mple versus NiKo, and but once more, it was the Ukrainian who got here out on high in a close-fought collection.
Greater than something, this collection was a couple of resurgent efficiency of the new-look NAVI’s unique elements, with the 2 Ukrainians, s1mple and b1t, carrying the crew with a 1.35 and a 1.25 HLTV 2.0 rating, respectively, throughout the end line. This was particularly the case on Inferno, the place NAVI appeared to drop the ball at first after amassing a 10-5 lead on the CT aspect however discovering a brand new gear at 11-11 to shut the map out in regulation.
The primary half in Mirage was a extra even affair, however it had the same complexion, with the groups staying neck-and-neck till 11-11, courtesy of heroics by NiKo and huNter-, however as soon as extra, NAVI went on a tear to get three match factors, the third of which they managed to transform.
In the end, NAVI followers had been those who might breathe a sigh of reduction and take solace within the phrases of s1mple within the post-match interview. The legendary participant was stuffed with reward for his teammates, saying, “I’m so pleased with every of our gamers […] the entire crew is cheering everybody up,” jokingly including that “if I’m not going to be poisonous, it’s going to be superior.”
Learn extra: BLAST Premier Fall Groups CS:GO 2023: Scores, brackets, results
“They’re simply higher,” was NiKo’s succinct abstract. “We simply didn’t get up when it mattered within the essential rounds. It was chaotic on TeamSpeak, selections had been made poorly as properly, and that value us the sport.” If this was a reference to G2’s long-doubted in-game chief, the stats actually inform the identical story: HooXi completed the collection with a -15 Ok/D and a 0.77 HLTV 2.0 ranking.
NAVI earned themselves a spot within the Fall Finals with this victory, consigning G2 to the shadows of the Showdown. With IEM Cologne simply across the nook, neither crew has loads of time to iron out the kinks and work out some much-needed enhancements. On the BLAST Premier Fall Teams, you might afford to lose two collection earlier than the knockout bracket: the Cathedral of Counter-Strike goes to be a lot much less forgiving.
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