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Big Counter-Strike 2 is gearing up for a triumphant return. We're talking about BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, where 32 teams will battle it out for the championship title.
However, 16 of those 32 teams will first play in Stage 1, where they will play for 8 spots in the next stage. Both B8 and Imperial Esports, who will open up for themselves by playing BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 face-to-face.
We're trying to figure out which of the B8 - Imperial Esports pair will be stronger and earn the first win in the Swiss Stage 1.
Let's go.
B8 Form
Let's open our analysis of the B8 vs Imperial Esports match with an analysis of B8's form. In this match they play as favourites with odds to win at around 1.6.
B8 can be characterised as a real workhorse. The team is at the crossroads between TIR-3 and TIR-2, but they are consistently "shining" at some pretty big tournaments. It also plays a lot, as is often the case with TIR-2 teams on the Counter-Strike competitive scene.
During the 2024 season B8 had several big achievements by the standards of the club. The team finished in the top 4 at RES Eastern European Masters: Spring 2024 and a similar place at RES European Series #2. In the middle of the year there were also victories at TIR-B tournaments. Thus, B8 became the champions of CCT Season 2 European Series #2 and Elisa Invitational Spring 2024, and also won CCT Season 2 European Series #5.
Unfortunately for B8 and their fans, the victories at the aforementioned tournaments did not turn into a stable win streak. At the same CCT the team finished top 8 at Series #12 and top 8 at Series #13.
- B8 lineup: npl, esenthial, headtr1ck, alex666, kensizor.
Before playing at ESL Challenger Katowice 2024, the team played at YaLLa Compass 2024, where they had bad luck and finished in TOP-18. Next was an appearance at CCT Season 2: European Series #12, CCT Season 2, European Series #13 with TOP-8.
Just before the Shanghai Major 2024: European RMR B they played Elisa Masters Espoo 2024, where they took TOP-4 and ESL Challenger Katowice 2024, where they took TOP-2.
At PW Shanghai Major 2024: European RMR B, the B8 Long team started with a defeat by Spirit, which is quite a logical result. Then they lost to Aurora, who are above B8 in the HLTV rankings. At the end of PW Shanghai Major 2024: European RMR B, they finished in the top 16.
In the 2025 Long Season, Long Cogged with BLAST Bounty Spring 2025: Closed Qualifier, where they finished in the Top-32 Ledge or G2 round. Next was Top-8 at CCT Season 2 European Series #16, Top-4 at CCT Season 2 European Series #17, and then won CCT Season 2 European Series #18, which was one of the biggest wins of the season.
Prior to playing at BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, they attended CCT Season 2 Global Finals, finishing Top 2, Top 3 at MESA Nomadic Masters Spring 2025 and won ESL Challenger League Season 49: Europe. At the Major itself, they made it through the European qualifiers, finishing in a borderline 6th place.
B8 Mapple
B8 has two 100% maps. They are Nuke with 9 wins in 14 matches, and Anubis with 5 matches and 4 wins.
They also play Ancient (66% wins in 3 matches). Still playing Mirage (9 matches, 4 wins). Vertigo with 2 wins and 3 losses and Overpass (2 wins in 7 matches).
Inferno are not playing.
Imperial Esports Form
We continue the analysis of the match Imperial Esports - B8 with the analysis of Imperial Esports form. In this match, the Brazilian club plays as an outsider with odds to win around 2.3.
The team spent the first half of the year in various qualifying events and TIR-2 tournaments. Among the rare results is a victory at the local championship TG Masters Spring 2023. Another notable failure was at EPL Season 17, where Imperial finished in the top 32.
Imperial's main Milestone was the performance at American RMR B, a qualifier for BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023. There, the Brazilian club finished in the top-12. Later there was a disappointing IEM Masters Rio 2023 and top-16 there.
- Imperial line-up: VINI, noway, decentry, try, chayJESUS.
Prior to the IEM Cologne 2023 Long Convergence, Imperial won the ESL Brazil Premier League Season 14 and also finished in the top 4 at BLAST Premier: Spring Final 2023.
On top of that, Imperial have invited felps and HEN1 to join the team. The team's rookies lost their debut match at the club. They were run over by Monte, who won at Nuke 16-9. Next it was no better and as a result Cologne Brazilians took the top 20.
Later, they finished top-28 at ESL Pro League Season 18 and tried to make a name for themselves at other tournaments. They played at local championships like CBCS 2023 Season 1, Copa BetBoom, Game Arena and so on, but failed to achieve success there. Imperial looked better in the 2024 season.
So far, the main achievement of the year was winning the home PGL Major Copenhagen 2024: American RMR and making it to the Major itself. There, the team went 3-2 in the Opening Stage and then won the Legends Stage 1-3, which is pretty good.
They opened ESL Pro League Season 19 with a match against FaZe Clan, where they lost 0-2, but showed their teeth. In the middle set of ESL Pro League Season 19 Imperial played against Eternal Fire, where Ledgeila with a score of 1-2. Next was a loss by sAw and a flight to the top 32.
Later Imperial won 2 "small" tournaments like Thunderpick World Championship 2024: South American Series #1 and ESL Challenger League Season 47: South America.
They got to IEM Cologne 2024 thanks to the top 2 at Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2024: South American Qualifier. In the end, they finished in the top 24, but failed to make a miracle.
ESL Pro League Season 20 started with a 2-1 win over BIG in a very even match. Then they defeated MOUZ 2-0 and lost to M80, but made it to the second round of play-offs. However, they could not move further and finished in the top-12. They made their mark at IEM Rio 2024, but only made their mark: TOP-16.
In the group Thunderpick World Championship 2024 Imperial first Ledge and NiP (1-2), and then won against Legacy with a score of 2-1. As a result, Imperial managed to comeback in the group and enter the play-offs from the second place, where they lost to MongolZ in the first round and fell out of the tournament to TOP-8.
At PW Shanghai Major 2024 Imperial made it to the PW Shanghai Major at the last attempt: top-6 at American RMR with a score of 3-2. Directly PW Shanghai Major 2024: Opening Stage Imperial Long started with a defeat by paiN Gaming. Then there were similar matches against FURIA and Complexity and a final top-24 finish.
In the 2025 season Imperial played mostly at TIR-B tournaments, including CCT Season 2 South American Series #6, where they finished TOP-2, and TOP-4 at the Intel Extreme Masters Dallas 2025: SA Qualifier.
Prior to the BLAST Open Lisbon 2025, Imperial attended CCT Season 2 South American Series #7, where they earned their first (albeit small) win.
At the BLAST Open Lisbon 2025, Long Sogpeg in Group B with a loss to G2 Esports. Then they lost to Team Liquid, thus finishing the BLAST Open Lisbon 2025 in the top 16. Later, there were qualifying tournaments, including BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025: Closed Qualifier, where Imperial Esports finished in the top 1-2, thus qualifying for the Major.
Imperial's Mappool
Imperial's best maps are Ancient and Inferno. The former has 3 wins in 4 maps and the latter has 5 wins out of 7.
They don't mind playing Overpass, where the Brazilians have 57% wins in 7 maps. Can also play Nuke with Vertigo, where they have 50% wins at 6 and 4 mapx respectively.
Do not play on Anubis.
History of head-to-head meetings B8 - Imperial Esports
The teams have not played each other in official matches before.
Predicted result of Imperial Esports vs B8 on BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025.
As far as I'm concerned, this is going to be a very even match. Both teams are at about the same level in terms of execution and in b1 anyone can win. I will still bet on the Brazilians.
Bottom line: Imperial Esports wins.
#51
Passion UA
TNLWatch match
