Team Vitality triumphed at the BLAST.tv Austin Major held in Moody Center, Texas as the Championship phase has concluded. The French team celebrated their title win in front of a full stadium after an eventful tournament that featured upsets, breakout stars, and changing geopolitics in Counter-Strike 2.
The Major had plenty of drama and momentum changes across three competing phases. As the second half of 2025 approaches, some teams have strengthened their global status, while others have difficult questions to answer.
Vitality Proves Unstoppable Despite A Stumble
Team Vitality were clear-cut the favourites before the tournament began. They had won every event in the first half of 2025. Therefore, their momentum looked unshakeable. However, they were shocked when Legacy handed them a loss in Stage 3, ending their 30-match winning streak. Yet, Vitality bounced back fast to make the Playoffs and beat The MongolZ 2-1 in the Grand Final.
Vitality have now won 7 tournaments in a row and are dominant heading into the end of the year as the best team in Counter-Strike 2.
North America Falls Short On Home Soil
It was the first Major in North America since 2018, giving regional squads a good chance to wow their local supporters. Still, North American players returned from that event disappointed.
Complexity, Wildcard, and NRG were the first teams eliminated in Stage 1. M80 exited in Stage 2 with 1-3 record, while Team Liquid Stage 3 entry too fell short of a Playoff berth.
The region’s last hope now rests on the shoulders of Jonathan ‘ELiGE’ Jablonowski, as his team made the Playoffs with stand-in Oleksandr ‘S1mple’ Kostyljev. However, they were knocked out in quarters by The MongolZ.
North American Counter-Strike’s struggle makes us question if they’ll match up to the European, Asian, and South American powerhouses in the coming few months.
Legacy Turns A Late Call-Up Into A Historic Run
Legacy’s presence at the Major was surprising but also very inspiring. At first not participating in the championship, a South American squad was added after BESTIA did not reach a visa deadline.
A 3-2 Stage 1 finish was what they made use of with wins over Chinggis Warriors, Imperial Esports and Wildcard. Stage 2 helped them continue their form too with a 3-0 result including a sweep of FaZe Clan.
Stage 3 began with an upset victory over the eventual champions Vitality, sparking hopes of a deeper run. Even though Legacy lost against Virtus.pro and FaZe Clan, as well as MOUZ in their last match, their journey touched many fans around the globe. With their performance, South America has shown Counter-Strike that it should not be taken lightly.
Falcons Struggle Despite Star Power
Following a stellar performance at the IEM Melbourne and BLAST Rivals Spring, Team Falcons entered the Major with expectations. It was believed that the addition of renowned signing Ilya ‘M0NESY’ Osipov would help change the squad’s fortunes.
But their stage 2 performance was not reflective of this. B8 and Lynn Vision’s losses almost eliminated the team, and despite winning against the OG Esports, Their campaign ended in a close loss to MIBR.
The team’s inconsistency is a stark contrast to their form, which suggests that further adjustments are needed. Falcons has the pieces for a second half bounce back with Maksim ‘kyosuke’ Lukin joining the roster but time will only tell if they can indeed take on the elite.
Asian Teams Signal A Changing Competitive Landscape
Asian teams made a lasting impression at the Austin Major. Lynn Vision Gaming took down NRG in Stage 1 and came out strong versus TYLOO and Team Falcons during Stage 2 to qualify for Stage 3.
The MongolZ were the first Asian team to reach a Major final, making it a historic run at the Major. This continent is becoming competitive after reaching finals in their journey.
With a steady improvement and a growing pool of talent, Asia is becoming a region that major teams can no longer ignore.
HEROIC Misses The Mark In A Pivotal Tournament
HEROIC managed to have a previous half of the year in 2025 that was amazing. Fresh from the CCT Season 2 Global Finals win and after MESA Nomadic Masters Spring edition win, there was a lot of hype. This was also the final tournament for Alvaro ‘SunPayus’ Garcia and Eetu ‘sAw’ Saha with the squad.
Yet, their run was short-lived. We lost to FaZe Clan in the first stage but beat TYLOO in Stage 2 to keep our win. Nemiga Gaming smashed those hopes by kicking HEROIC out with a 2-0 win.
Although the result was disappointing, the upcoming off-season will allow HEROIC to start again and prepare for the PGL Budapest Major later this year, possibly with a new line-up.
A Global Shift In Competitive Dynamics
The BLAST.tv Austin Major has shifted expectations across the regions. The continued dominance of Vitality might be standard-setting, but with the likes of Legacy and The MongolZ coming to the fore and a greater resurgence from Asian squads, we might have a closer future.
As the 2025 season enters its second half, will struggling regions be able to bounce back? Will new challengers sustain the initial momentum? We look at travelling circumstances ahead of Budapest.