BLAST.tv Austin Major Playoff preview and predictions

After two weeks of brilliant Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) action, the Playoffs for the BLAST.tv Austin Major is on the horizon.

Out of the 32 teams that entered the Major, only eight of the world’s best descend on the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, for a chance to have their names etched in esports history. 

Ahead of the Playoffs, Esports Insider takes a closer look at the quarter-finals and attempts to select the winner of an event that’s already seen its share of surprises.

Heading into the Playoffs of the Major with a flawless win-to-loss record, Team Spirit is in an excellent position to win back-to-back Majors. The team defeated PaiN Gaming, Lynn Vision Gaming, and NAVI to book its place at the Moody Center at the earliest possible moment. 

2025 has already been a successful year for the organisation, with victories at BLAST Bounty Spring and PGL Astana, along with a second place at IEM Katowice. However, now TeamSpirit has an opportunity to contend for another Major win if it can overcome an out-of-sorts MOUZ in the quarter-final.

As the second-highest ranked team in the world, many expected MOUZ to reach the Playoffs comfortably. However, the German organisation played the most amount of Counter-Strike in Stage 3. Early defeats to Virtus.pro and FaZe Clan placed MOUZ on the brink of a shock elimination, but wins over Team Liquid, Aurora Gaming, and Legacy saw the team bounce back. 

With the best-performing Stage 3 team facing off against the worst, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Team Spirit sweep aside MOUZ with a convincing 2-0 win. But if MOUZ can rekindle the magic that saw it win PGL Cluj-Napoca, it could be a close contest. Even if MOUZ finds its form, Esports Insider still sees Team Spirit moving on to the next round.

Winner: Team Spirit 2-0

Armed with a six-event win streak, Team Vitality aims to maintain its position as the best Counter-Strike team in the world by lifting the BLAST.tv Austin Major. While its 30-match win streak came to an end after a shock defeat to Legacy, the French organisation remains the favourite to emerge victorious at the Moody Center. 

Standing in its way in the quarter-finals is NAVI, a team that has managed to find a purple patch after a turbulent start to the year. Top four finishes at BLAST Bounty Spring and IEM Katowice saw glimpses of its ability against the top teams, giving the first CS2 Major winner plenty of confidence heading into its opening Playoff match. 

Given Team Vitality’s domination of Counter-Strike in the first six months of the year, it’s hard not to place them as the overwhelming favourites in this quarter-final encounter. NAVI could give the French side a run for its money, but it won’t be enough for the Ukrainian organisation to advance. 

Winner: Team Vitality 2-0

FaZe Clan kicked off its Stage 3 campaign with a defeat to Aurora Gaming, leaving some questioning if the decision to add Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyljev to the starting line up was the best move to make. Despite this, one of Counter-Strike’s greats has proven the doubters wrong, with the team scoring wins over MOUZ and Legacy on its way to the Playoffs. 

Interestingly, FaZe Clan scored a 2-0 win over The MongolZ to earn a place at the Playoffs. The two sides will face off once more, this time around, for a place in the semi-finals.

Similarly to FaZe Clan, The MongolZ began Stage 3 with a defeat to FURIA before picking up wins over Team Liquid and Lynn Vision Gaming. The team picked up a crucial victory over G2 Esports to secure Playoffs, but may have an uphill battle to overcome a S1mple-powered FaZe Clan. 

This particular quarter-final has all the ingredients to be a Counter-Strike classic. Whilst The MongolZ has lost to FaZe at this event, it is likely to be a close affair. Expect it to go all three maps, with FaZe Clan emerging victorious.

Winner: FaZe Clan 2-1

The final quarter-final is an all-Brazilian encounter as PaiN Gaming takes on FURIA. Both sides successfully navigated Stages 2 and 3 to book a place in the top eight and have an excellent opportunity to cement a position as the top team in South America.

Following a top-14 finish at the Perfect World Shanghai Major, PaiN has shown signs of potential throughout 2025. Alongside recording victories over the likes of Nemiga Gaming in the early stages of the Major, the organisation has laid the foundations for a solid Major campaign. 

For FURIA, the BLAST.tv Austin Major Playoffs mark the first time Gabriel ‘FalleN’ Toledo has competed for a Major trophy since 2022. Since the addition of Mareks ‘YEKINDAR’ Galinskis as a stand-in, the team has only lost one in its last six matches. Notably, the defeat came at the hands of PaiN Gaming, setting up an exciting second encounter. 

The last time the two sides battled, PaiN Gaming emerged victorious with a close 13-11 win on Dust II. With a best-of-three format in effect, there’s every chance the two sides will have another hotly contested match. However, with FURIA winning its last three best-of-three matches, FalleN’s roster has momentum on its side. So, Esports Insider sees the team advancing in a close game

Winner: FURIA 2-1

With FURIA, Team Spirit, FaZe Clan, and Team Vitality advancing to the next round, the theoretical semi-final matches are as follows: 

The defending Major champions take on the best team in the game, a match that’s more than likely to go down to the wire. If Danil ‘Donk’ Kryshkovets plays at his full potential, Team Spirit can overcome a Team Vitality side looking to extend its event streak to seven. Team Vitality has shown a few cracks in its armour, but expect the in-form team to stop Team Spirit’s run. 

 Winner: Team Vitality 2-0

The next semi-final between FaZe and FURIA would see the two oldest players in the tournament taking each other on. Finn ‘karrigan’ Andersen aims to add a second Major to his collection while Gabriel ‘FalleN’ Toledo will be competing for a third.  

FURIA has a tricky task to overcome a FaZe team that often comes alive when competing in front of a capacity crowd. However, the Brazilians can spring a surprise against the favourites in this particular series. Despite FURIA’s star stand-in, FaZe Clan should secure a place in the Grand Final. 

Winner: FaZe Clan 2-1

A Grand Final between Team Vitality and FaZe Clan is a tantalising prospect where one of the game’s greats can cement his legacy even further with victory over the best CS2 team in the world. With S1mple’s AWP starting to click, a potential duel against Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Harbaut will act as the ultimate test of skill. 

A game between these two teams seems almost impossible to predict, but considering Team Vitality’s recent track record,  it can overcome a FaZe Clan that won’t go down without a fight.

BLAST.tv Austin Major winner: Team Vitality 2-1