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Vitality secured victory in the BLAST Premier Fall Final by defeating FaZe with a convincing 2-0 in the tournament decider at the Royal Arena.
This marked a remarkable debut for William “mezii” Merriman, who celebrated his first Counter-Strike trophy.
Despite FaZe aiming to extend their 18-match winning streak and clinch their fourth consecutive trophy, they delivered an uninspired performance, particularly on Vertigo, where Vitality dominated from the start.
Nuke saw a closer contest, but FaZe’s critical mistake at 11-11 proved costly.
Dan “apEX” Madesclaire expressed his pride in the team’s performance, emphasizing the intense collective effort in practice and individual skills.
The French tactician also highlighted Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut’s exceptional performance, earning him his 17th MVP award with a tournament-high 1.35 rating.
The series began with a surprise Vertigo pick from Vitality, a map they hadn’t played since IEM Cologne 2023.
Despite the lack of recent experience, Vitality showcased a strong understanding of the map, securing a 9-3 halftime lead.
FaZe struggled to recover, managing only one round on the map as Vitality dominated.
The momentum carried into Nuke, with Vitality taking a 3-0 lead after a clutch from mezii in the pistol round.
FaZe rallied with seven consecutive round wins, led by Håvard “rain” Nygaard, but Vitality closed the half at 7-5.
The second half featured key clutches from Vitality, including one from Lotan “Spinx” Giladi, securing an 11-9 lead.
Despite FaZe’s attempts at a comeback, Vitality reached series point with a decisive round, ultimately winning the match.
FaZe Clan’s flawless CS2 run came to an end at the hands of a resurgent Vitality roster.
Following a lackluster end to the Global Offensive era, FaZe had dominated CS2’s initial competitions, claiming titles at IEM Sydney, the Thunderpick World Championship, and the CS Asia Championship.
Twistzz’s reported move to Team Liquid raises questions about FaZe’s roster, especially with the impending merger with GameSquare.
Vitality, bolstered by the addition of Mezii, seems to be in top form as they head into the BLAST World Final and the first Major in CS2 history in March 2023.
Both Vitality and FaZe, if their core roster survives changes, are expected to be favourites in upcoming events, providing exciting matchups in late-2023 BLAST events and potentially meeting again in a grand final.
Major Winners and now Fall Final Champions
Congratulations to @TeamVitality 🏆 #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/238IIsDS0T
— BLAST Premier 💥 (@BLASTPremier) November 26, 2023
