Final match of the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 Qualifier ended. It was a fierce and tense battle between Astralis and B8, with B8 emerging as the winner from this showdown.
This is not the first time these two teams meet in a fierce final for a spot at the Major. Last time, B8 suffered a devastating loss to Astralis, 2:1, which cost them a spot at the Major.
This time, B8 displayed an amazing performance and an incredible comeback. This can be considered a revenge for the previous encounter, and the final point in this revenge was made by alex666, who won a 1v3 clutch.
Astralis’ Path in the Tournament
Astralis began their campaign with a loss to OG, 8:13 on the Nuke map. Then followed a victory over PARIVISION (13:7), which allowed the team to advance to the 1-1 pool. In the next match, they defeated ENCE 13:3 on the Train map, and then won against BIG (2:1), losing on Mirage (11:13) but winning on Inferno (13:9) and Ancient (13:7).
B8’s Path in the Tournament
B8 started with two losses: to SAW (17:19) and Metizport (13:16), which sent the team into the 0-2 pool. However, they demonstrated excellent gameplay, securing wins over PARIVISION and BC.Game, and then confidently defeated 9 Pandas, thanks to a strong performance from Andriy “npl” Kukharsky.
Map Analysis
Mirage
Astralis: On the T-side, the team showed a weak performance, losing 4:11. Their attack lacked coordination and aggression, which allowed the opponents to dominate.
B8: The team confidently controlled the map, effectively using their positions and aggressive strategies, which led them to victory.
Inferno
Astralis: After the failure on Mirage, the team managed to adapt and showcase a strong performance on Inferno, winning 13:9. Their defense was particularly effective, not allowing the opponents to build momentum.
B8: Despite their efforts, the team was unable to find weaknesses in Astralis’ defense, which led to their defeat.
Ancient
B8 once again demonstrated excellent team play and individual performances, which allowed them to secure the victory on the third map. Although B8 started the map at a disadvantage, they made an incredible comeback and snatched the victory from Astralis with their team play and aggression in the right places. Astralis failed to adapt to B8’s strategy, which led to their defeat.
Best Player of the match
The best player of this match can be considered device from Astralis. Although his team lost, he showcased a worthy level of play on all maps. His actions often turned the rounds in favor of Astralis. Therefore, he rightfully earned his rating of 2.1 – 1.5 in this match.
Conclusion
B8, despite initial struggles, showed character and managed to make a comeback in the tournament, securing several confident wins. Special mention should be made of npl, who became the team leader in crucial moments.Also, it’s worth mentioning the performance of esenthial and giving a special mention to the player who dramatically finished the match with a 1v3 clutch – alex666.
