As part of the group stage at BLAST Rivals 2025 Season 1, we are set to witness a clash between MOUZ and paiN. Both teams are entering the match in very different forms, which will significantly impact their chances of success. In this article, we will analyze recent performances, map pools, and head-to-head results to deliver a detailed prediction for this upcoming encounter.
Current Form of the Teams
MOUZ
MOUZ have shown strong and stable form over the past few months. In the last three months, the team played 68 maps and won 40 of them. Recently, MOUZ achieved impressive results — finishing 2nd at PGL Bucharest and reaching 3-4th place at IEM Melbourne 2025. It’s worth noting that the team has successfully adapted their gameplay after signing a new rifler, Spinx. In their last five matches, MOUZ picked up three victories against The MongolZ, GamerLegion, and BIG, losing only to Vitality and Falcons.
paiN
paiN’s form has been much less encouraging. Over the past three months, they played 57 maps but managed to win only 22. At both PGL Bucharest and IEM Melbourne, paiN failed to make it out of the group stage, finishing 15-16th and 13-16th respectively. Additionally, they lost all of their last five matches, falling to Complexity, FaZe (twice), Falcons, and Aurora.
Map Pool Analysis
MOUZ usually ban Anubis first. They frequently pick Nuke (17 times played with a 71% win rate), Mirage (11 times played with a 55% win rate), and Ancient (13 times played with a 77% win rate). Considering their strong performance on Ancient and Nuke, it’s likely that they will pick one of these maps in the match.
paiN consistently ban Ancient, as it is their weakest map. Their picks usually depend on the opponent’s weaknesses, but they often lean towards Mirage (58% win rate), Nuke (70%), or Dust2 (45%). Against MOUZ, it’s most likely that paiN will opt for Mirage, avoiding Nuke where MOUZ feel extremely comfortable.
Predicted Bans and Picks:
MOUZ are expected to remove Anubis first, while paiN will respond by banning Ancient. MOUZ will likely pick their strong map Nuke, whereas paiN will choose Mirage to maximize their chances. In the second round of bans, MOUZ will probably remove Dust2 to avoid an unpredictable result, while paiN are expected to ban Overpass. As a result, Inferno should be left as the decider.
Head-to-Head Matches
Over the past six months, MOUZ and paiN have faced each other twice, with MOUZ claiming convincing victories both times. At the Shanghai Major Qualifiers, MOUZ beat paiN 13:6 on Nuke. Later, at Cluj-Napoca 2025, MOUZ once again prevailed, winning 2:0 across Mirage and Inferno.
Match Prediction
MOUZ enter this match in far better form than paiN. Their recent tournament performances highlight their stability and team cohesion. Meanwhile, paiN are struggling, losing series even against mid-tier teams. The head-to-head record also strongly favors MOUZ.
A confident 2:0 victory for MOUZ is the most likely outcome.
