BLAST.tv Austin Major Stage 3: All qualified teams

Stage two of the BLAST.tv Austin Major has come to an end, with eight teams securing a place in stage three alongside the final batch of competitors. 

Sixteen teams will compete across five rounds to earn a place in the Playoffs and the chance to compete for the biggest prize in Counter-Strike 2 esports. 

With Stage 3 taking the spotlight from June 12th to 15th, Esports Insider is sharing everything there is to know about all the teams competing in the next stage of the BLAST.tv Austin Major.

Although Legacy wasn’t planning to compete at the Austin Major, the Brazilian organisation has continued to shine after two successful stages. Following a lengthy path to Stage 2, its journey to Stage 3 was far more straightforward. 

The team enters Stage 3 after scoring a 3-0 record, securing wins over MIBR, 3DMAX and FaZe Clan. Given the team’s momentum, the organisation has a great opportunity to complete an unprecedented run to the Moody Center for the Playoffs. 

Standing in its way in the first round of Stage 3 is Team Vitality, the best team in Counter-Strike. For the Cinderella story to continue, a win against the French powerhouse will go a long way in Stage 3.

Despite lacklustre performances at IEM Melbourne and PGL Astana, Virtus.pro has sprung into life as the Major continues to heat up. The team, currently ranked 13th in the world, immediately made an impact, booking its place in Stage 3 in timely fashion. 

Victories against OG Esports, B8 and PaiN Gaming had Virtus.pro wrapping up Stage 2 with relative ease, allowing the team to turn its attention to the next stage and a first-round match against MOUZ. A strong result here could spark a run into the Playoffs.  

Brazil has a strong presence at the Austin Major, and PaiN Gaming is one of several organisations leading the charge for South American Counter-Strike. Wins over Nemiga Gaming, fellow Brazilians FURIA and Lynn Vision Gaming were enough to advance to Stage 3. 

The team has continued gaining experience with regular appearances in Tier 1 tournaments throughout 2025. It has the potential to maintain its impressive form and secure a spot at the Moody Center. PaiN takes on Team Spirit in the opening round of Stage 3.

Led by two-time Major winner Gabriel ‘FalleN’ Toledo, FURIA is another Brazilian team with a chance of making it to the Playoffs. Three wins over Lynn Vision, M80 and B8 saw the team qualify with a 3-1 record, conceding a round to the fellow Brazilians of PaiN Gaming. 

Ranked 16th in the world, reaching Stage 3 builds on the momentum FURIA earned during PGL Astana, where it secured a top-four finish. A first-round match against The MongolZ could prove a tricky start to its quest to represent Brazil at the Moody Center.

The French side of 3DMAX has shown signs that it can compete against the very best Counter-Strike teams in the world throughout the Austin Major. Victories against BetBoom Team and Nemiga Gaming and a deafet to Legacy set up a tantalising clash against FaZe Clan, a match in which 3DMAX showed excellent composure against the North American organisation. 

A 2-0 sweep of FaZe secured its place in Stage 3 of the Major, and with the Playoffs in sight, an opening round victory against G2 Esports could place the team on the right track towards the main stage. 

Nemiga Gaming took the longest path to earn a place in Stage 3 of the Major. After qualifying from the first stage, the Belarusian organisation, ranked 27th in the world, battled through Stage 2 with a 3-2 record after defeating HEROIC in the deciding series. 

The team has competed across several online and offline competitions, resulting in a jump in performance after it missed out on a place at the Shanghai Major at the end of 2024. With plenty of experience under its belt, a first-round match against NAVI awaits.

Lynn Vision Gaming has taken the Austin Major by storm, becoming the first Chinese team to secure a Top 16 placement since 2018. Notable victories over TYLOO and Team Falcons in Stage 2 set the scene for a deciding best-of-three over B8. 

A 2-1 win booked Lynn Vision’s place in Stage 3. However, a first-round match against Team Liquid will be a challenging start for a potentially historic opportunity to secure a Playoff place.

The arrival of Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyljev has already attracted the attention of Counter-Strike fans, wondering if one of the title’s greatest ever players can rekindle the magic under the FaZe Clan banner. 

The Austin Major hasn’t been the smoothest of sailing for the Red Militia, recording losses over 3DMAX and Legacy. However, signs of potential emerged with a 2-0 win over MIBR, becoming the final team to qualify for Stage 3. FaZe begins the final stage with an opening-round match against Aurora Gaming.

Team Liquid holds the hopes of North American Counter-Strike on its shoulders as the last organisation from the region competing for a place in the Playoffs. Ranked 14th, the team has reached the quarterfinals of the past two Majors and will aim to take it a few steps further this time for a chance to lift a trophy. 

The recent addition of Kamil ‘siuhy’ Szkaradek has started yielding success, with wins over NAVI and FaZe Clan at IEM Melbourne and Dallas.

After Aurora Gaming acquired the former Eternal Fire roster in May, the Turkish team locked sixth place in the Valve Regional Standings (VRS). A third-place finish at PGL Astana, combined with a top-six placement at IEM Dallas, has seen it display plenty of ability against a variety of strong opposition. 

The Austin Major is the first Counter-Strike 2 Major for the organisation, after failing to qualify for the Perfect World Major in 2024.

NAVI enters the Major looking to build on a consistent string of results throughout 2025. Top-eight finishes at IEM Melbourne and PGL Astana may not be what the Ukrainian organisation is aiming for, but glimpses of promise have offered fans some hope as it looks to win its third Major title.

With recent wins over the likes of MIBR (Made in Brazil) and Aurora Gaming prior to the Major, NAVI will be looking for a positive start to Stage 3 as it takes on Nemiga Gaming.

Since becoming the national Counter-Strike team of Mongolia in March, The MongolZ has cemented itself among the top five teams in the world. Top 4 finishes at IEM Melbourne and IEM Dallas, featuring wins over several former Major winners, puts the team in contention for a strong showing in Austin.

Defending Major champion Team Spirit has positioned itself perfectly to add the Austin Major trophy to its collection. A victory at PGL Astana and Top 4 finishes at BLAST Lisbon and Rivals have resulted in the team recording a win rate of over 70% over the last three months.

The rise of MOUZ to second in the world rankings is a testament to the German organisation’s strong run of form in 2025. Since March, the team hasn’t placed lower than the top four, defeating the likes of G2 Esports, The MongolZ and Team Liquid en route to the finals at BLAST Lisbon and IEM Dallas.

Having lost to Team Vitality on three occasions over the last four tournaments MOUZ has competed in, earning a place in the Playoffs for a chance to end the French side’s unbeaten streak is an exciting prospect.

Since the departure of Ilya ‘m0NESY’ Osipov, the form of G2 Esports has struggled to propel the organisation back towards the top of global Counter-Strike.For the Austin Major, Aleksander ‘hades’ Miśkiewicz joins the starting lineup on loan from Monte to score another Playoffs appearance.

2025 has been the year of Team Vitality, with its unbeaten streak at BLAST Lisbon, BLAST Rivals, IEM Melbourne and IEM Dallas acting as ideal preparation for the biggest tournament of the year. The French side hasn’t lost a match since February, earning the second-longest win streak in Counter-Strike esports. 

Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut is regarded as the best Counter-Strike 2 player in the world and has the perfect opportunity to take home his second Major title in Austin. Team Vitality is the team to beat, and anything other than outright victory would be a disappointment.