The main tournament of this half-year, BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, is set to kick off on June 2. The world`s top Counter-Strike 2 squads will gather on LAN in Austin, Texas, to battle for a massive $1.25 million prize pool and the prestigious title of Major champions before heading into the player break. The stakes are incredibly high for every single team involved. Team Vitality needs a victory to cap off their dominant season on the highest note, while the rest of the field is desperate to prove that ZywOo and company can, in fact, be beaten.
This Major promises to be truly historic, as we will finally see legendary players like Aleksandr s1mple Kostyliev, Danil donk Kryshkovets, Ilya m0NESY Osipov, and Mathieu ZywOo Herbaut all competing under one roof. Each of these superstars is aiming to hoist the coveted trophy. Valve`s Major tournaments are notorious for delivering unexpected results, making it difficult to pinpoint clear favorites in Austin. Let`s take a look at some of the key contenders and their prospects for success.
Team Vitality: The Reigning Force Seeking the Missing Piece
As of writing, we are undoubtedly in the Vitality era – a fact only denied by the staunchest club haters. Dan apEX Madesclaire`s leadership has long proven itself; beating his current lineup feels nearly impossible without major asterisks. The team has demonstrated an incredible ability to both dismantle top favorites and stage improbable comebacks from seemingly lost situations. The level of dominance displayed by the Vitality roster is comparable to the legendary Astralis era, yet for the full picture, one small but crucial piece of the puzzle is still missing: a Major trophy. Without it, the significance of their incredible performance across numerous tournaments feels incomplete.
However, it would be strange to suggest the team is under significant pressure – they have long since overcome external factors influencing their play, evident in the composure of the players themselves. The club is expected to comfortably reach the playoffs, of that there is little doubt. The only potential pitfall for Vitality could be the Best-of-1 format in the early stages, which might pose a threat to their impressive win streak.
But in the playoffs themselves, the team might encounter difficulties. At Valve-sponsored tournaments, Vitality has shown a peculiar habit of not performing at their absolute peak. In Shanghai, they fell to FaZe Clan (who were playing rather mediocrely at the time but found their signature magic), and in Rio and Antwerp, they failed to reach the final stages entirely. The only exceptions are the Paris Major (where, frankly, the playoff bracket wasn`t the strongest) and Copenhagen, where a confident-at-the-time FaZe gave Vitality a tough fight.
For this reason, there`s a sense that Team Vitality will need to push even harder in the upcoming tournament. Otherwise, they risk joining the list of clubs that enjoyed periods of dominance but never clinched a Major title (hello, Team Liquid). Nevertheless, analysts widely consider Vitality the primary favorite, with bookmakers listing their probability of success at odds of 1.62.
Team Falcons: The Challengers Destined to Disrupt?
Team Falcons, without question, currently sit atop the list of teams capable of overcoming the French powerhouse. Since the arrival of Ilya m0NESY Osipov, the Falcons roster has only suffered losses to two teams: MOUZ and that very same Vitality. This is precisely why the community harbors significant hopes for Falcons. They are seemingly destined to be the ones to stop the Vitality era. And their chances are real: Falcons arrive at the Major as a team with absolutely nothing to lose, especially considering a significant roster change is expected in the summer.
We have witnessed such inspired, `do or die` performances at tournaments many times before. Cloud9 in Boston, FaZe Clan in Shanghai, and G2 at IEM Dallas 2025 are prime examples. Maxim kyousuke Lukin, who is reportedly no longer even practicing with Team Spirit Academy, might provide a psychological boost to Falcons, even without actively playing. The potential outcome is clear – we might very well see NiKo`s face in tears again. And one would hope that this time, Kovac`s tears will be those of joy, not bitter defeat.
Team Spirit: Defending the Crown in a Tougher Landscape
Team Spirit will arrive at BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 needing to defend the championship title they claimed at the previous Valve event. The team finds itself in a quite different position compared to six months ago. Spirit continues to dominate lower-tier opposition, but their kryptonite in 2025, based on recent matches, appears to be not only Vitality but also Falcons and MOUZ. In the competitive hierarchy, the donk roster is clearly no longer perched alone at the very top.
Despite this, the Spirit team still possesses tremendous potential. Their performance at PGL Astana 2025 was telling: out of 15 maps played, Team Spirit won 13. Of course, the event in Kazakhstan shouldn`t be viewed as a full-fledged tier-1 tournament, as most top teams were simply not in attendance. Nevertheless, the victory, which judging by the players` reactions didn`t seem to overly excite them, can still ignite the team and give them a much-needed impetus.
In the initial stage of the tournament for Team Spirit, they are unlikely to face any team capable of seriously challenging them. The donk roster can only hope that the Buchholz system doesn`t pair them against the top teams too early in the group stage. Team Spirit should comfortably advance to the playoffs, but what they will do once there, facing off against Falcons, MOUZ, and Vitality, remains uncertain for now.
FaZe Clan: The S1mple Factor
FaZe Clan is one of the most intriguing participants in the event, even though the roster isn`t listed among the primary contenders for the trophy. Aleksandr s1mple Kostyliev`s new team will finally arrive at the championship with its full roster and will have the opportunity to showcase its true potential. Much like Falcons, which we discussed earlier, FaZe is in a `do or die` situation. It`s safe to say that if the team fails to reach the playoffs, significant changes are likely. And anyone could potentially be replaced – neither Finn karrigan Andersen nor Håvard rain Nygaard might be able to retain their spots in the FaZe club this time.
Seeing s1mple play with FaZe Clan at the Major will be fascinating. Judging by the sniper`s social media posts, he has been training tirelessly for the tournament. And even considering that IEM Dallas 2025 was s1mple`s first tournament in a long time, he displayed magnificent gameplay there. Despite all this, expecting FaZe Clan to reach the final or semi-finals of the tournament might be premature. The FaZe team has had very little practice together, and contrasting their current preparation with teams like NAVI, The Mongolz, or Aurora is quite challenging.
Finley Holt