BLAST.tv Austin Major: Vitality, MongolZ claim dominant quarterfinal wins

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Team Vitality and The MongolZ booked their places in the BLAST.tv Austin Major semi-finals on Friday, delivering statement victories that eliminated Natus Vincere and FaZe Clan in straight maps and underlined their title credentials.

For Natus Vincere, dreams of repeating their Cinderella run from the first Counter-Strike 2 Major in Copenhagen were dashed by a clinical Vitality unit. Despite flashes of brilliance on Mirage, particularly from Mihai “⁠iM⁠” Ivan and Ihor “⁠w0nderful⁠” Zhdanov, NaVi failed to convert momentum into a lead.

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After a back-and-forth first half, Vitality wrestled control thanks to clutch moments from William “⁠mezii⁠” Merriman and Shahar “⁠flameZ⁠” Shushan, closing out Mirage (13-9) before surviving a scare on Nuke. NaVi battled back from a 10-5 deficit to push for overtime, but mezii shut the door with a commanding quad-kill in the final round to seal the 13-11 win and 2-0 series victory.

Vitality now move on to face MOUZ in what will be the seventh meeting between the sides in 2025. While Vitality have dominated the head-to-head so far with a 6-0 record, coach sycrone noted MOUZ’s extra day of preparation could play a significant role. Team captain Dan “⁠apEX⁠” Madesclaire echoed caution, acknowledging the unpredictable nature of a Major semi-final despite their form.

The other semi-final will see The MongolZ take on tournament dark horses paiN Gaming, following the Mongolians’ breakthrough 2-0 (13-9 on Mirage, 13-11 on Anubis) win over FaZe. It marks their best Major result to date, improving on a quarter-final finish in Shanghai. Against FaZe, The MongolZ impressed with coordinated aggression and well-timed clutches, particularly on Anubis, where Usukhbayar “⁠910⁠” Banzragch delivered two late triple-kills to snuff out any FaZe comeback hopes.

For FaZe, the loss was a bitter pill. Veteran IGL Finn “⁠karrigan⁠” Andersen was their lone spark on Mirage, while newcomer Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev — playing his first LAN since IEM Rio 2023 — struggled to impact, finishing with a 0.80 rating in what may prove to be his swan song in the FaZe jersey.

Reflecting post-match, karrigan admitted the team is at a crossroads. “The whole year has been really bad. We need to rethink everything.” With roster questions looming, FaZe’s future appears uncertain as another Major slips through their fingers.

BLAST.tv Austin Major semifinal series

Below you will find the key details for the two BLAST.tv Austin Major semifinal matches, with odds courtesy of the best esports betting sites.

• Team Vitality (-357.14 with BetOnline) vs MOUZ (+250 with Bovada) @ 1pm CDT
• paiN Gaming (+200 with BetOnline) vs The MongolZ (-277.78 with BetOnline) @ 5:30pm CDT

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