After an 18-game unbeaten streak, FaZe have finally been unseated by Vitality as the kings of Counter-Strike 2. The BLAST Premier Fall Final 2023 has reached its conclusion, with this new-look Vitality lifting their first trophy together.
Pre-match, it seemed like another FaZe victory was a foregone conclusion. They had won their previous three tournaments, and created an aura of invincibility in the new game. So, how did Vitality conquer this impenetrable defense?
Too Simple For Vitality
Credit: Michał Konkol | © BLAST
Vitality will likely be surprised at how easy it was to end FaZe’s win streak in this Grand Final. Winning 2:0, Vitality completely locked FaZe out of the series, and it all started on that first map. Young rifler flameZ had, by the numbers, the second-best map of his career, going 23:7, and what a time to do it. While it was a quieter performance in the second map, this felt like a coming-of-age performance for flameZ.
On the other side, you had Twistzz, who dropped a 1:13 performance on map one. This is the first time in his entire career that he has managed just a single kill on a map, happening at just the wrong moment. During their streak, FaZe have had their fair share of near misses, only surviving due to sheer resilience. This time, they flew too close to the sun.
What Next For Vitality in CS2?
Credit: BLASTPremier on Twitter | © BLAST
Next time we see Vitality, it will be at the BLAST Premier World Final 2023 in Abu Dhabi. There, they won’t have the pressure of a new roster, with mezii now truly settled on the team. What could that look like? Vitality without pressure? It’s a scary thought, and with some top young talents on the team, the sky is the limit.
You’d have to expect FaZe to remain their strongest opponent in the upcoming tournament, but one lingering question remains – Twistzz. It’s entirely possible that we’ve already seen the last of him at FaZe, with a move to Liquid pending. Regardless of his performance in this Grand Final, he still makes FaZe a far better team. If they do have to play the BLAST World Final 2023 without him, can they still challenge in the same way? Only time will tell.
Last but not least, spare a thought for karrigan, who once again has failed to win at the Royal Arena with the supporting home crowd. Next year, perhaps?
