Welcome, Counter-Strike 2 fans! BLAST Rivals Season 2 begins today in Hong Kong, running from November 12 to November 16, 2025, with eight teams competing for a $350,000 prize pool. The opening match features a familiar South American rivalry between FURIA Esports and paiN Gaming. Both teams know each other well, often meeting in regional and international events. FURIA’s aggressive approach and strong coordination will be tested against paiN’s steady aim and patient tactics. It’s the first game of the tournament, and both sides will be looking to start their campaign with confidence. Let’s take a closer look at what to expect from this matchup.
How the Bookies View It: FURIA Slightly Favoured
As BLAST Rivals Season 2 gets underway in Hong Kong, the opening day features a Brazilian showdown between FURIA Esports and paiN Gaming. According to bookmakers, FURIA enters the match as the heavy favorite with odds of 1.16, while paiN Gaming sits as the clear underdog at 5.08. The gap reflects FURIA’s dominant recent form and their consistent performance against top-tier opposition, driven by sharp coordination and confident map control. Still, paiN has proven capable of surprising stronger teams, especially when their riflers find early momentum. As both sides look to make a strong start in the group stage, fans can expect a match filled with intensity, smart plays, and plenty of regional pride.
FURIA Esports form. What result can be expected from FURIA
Team FURIA Esports in 2025 has established itself as one of the most dynamic Latin American organizations in the global CS2 scene, combining aggressive gameplay, regional experience, and a growing international presence. Founded on April 16, 2018, FURIA initially rose to prominence in Counter‑Strike: Global Offensive, consistently competing among the top South American teams and earning recognition for their distinctive playstyle and strong brand identity. The transition to Counter-Strike 2 brought new challenges, including higher global competition and the need for roster evolution, which the organization addressed by integrating international talent alongside its Brazilian core.
The 2025 roster blends seasoned veterans with emerging players: Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo leads as captain and IGL, providing strategic guidance and leadership; Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato delivers consistent rifling prowess; Yuri “yuurih” Santos acts as a reliable support; while Danil “molodoy” Golubenko and Mareks “YEKINDAR” Galinskis, both 2025 additions, bring fresh mechanical skill and flexibility to the team. This combination allows FURIA to maintain aggressive playstyles while adapting to different opponents and high-pressure situations.
- Team FURIA Esports 2025 roster: FalleN, KSCERATO, yuurih, molodoy, YEKINDAR.
FURIA’s 2025 season demonstrated a trajectory of improvement and resilience. In mid-October, they captured the Thunderpick World Championship 2025, coming from behind to defeat their opponents 3:2 in a thrilling offline final, earning $200,000. Earlier that month, at ESL Pro League Season 22, the team faced stronger competition and finished 5th–8th, taking $18,000. September began with a notable triumph at FISSURE Playground #2, winning 3:2 in another S-tier offline event for $200,000, though a week earlier they had placed 3rd–4th at BLAST Open Fall 2025 with a 0:2 loss in the final stages, highlighting the team’s competitive consistency with occasional setbacks. On the online front, FURIA qualified through BLAST Open Fall 2025: Closed Qualifier, winning 2:0, reinforcing their strength in online competition.
The team’s biggest achievement of the year came on November 9, when FURIA Esports won IEM Chengdu 2025, sweeping Team Vitality 3:0 in the grand final. This victory marked one of the most dominant performances in the organization’s history and solidified their status as one of the top teams in the world. The title also earned FURIA significant international recognition, proving their ability to compete and win against Europe’s elite lineups.
The summer season included mixed results. Early August saw the team exit BLAST Bounty Fall 2025: Closed Qualifier in 9th–16th place with a 1:2 loss, while at the beginning of the month they performed admirably at Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2025, finishing 5th–6th and earning $40,000. July brought a 9th–12th place at FISSURE Playground #1 ($10,000), and in June, FURIA competed at BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, securing 5th–8th place and $45,000. In May, the team faced early exits at IEM Dallas 2025 (9th–12th, $5,000) and PGL Astana 2025 (4th, $43,750), reflecting the challenges of competing consistently against global top-tier teams.
Overall, FURIA’s 2025 results show a mix of regional dominance, strong online performances, and valuable international exposure. The roster has demonstrated the ability to win high-stakes matches, adapt to changing metas, and incorporate new talent effectively, while still working to close the gap against established European and North American organizations.
The team’s main strength lies in balancing experienced leadership with emerging talent. FalleN, KSCERATO, and yuurih provide stability and strategic direction, while molodoy and YEKINDAR bring energy, sharp mechanical skills, and versatility. This combination allows FURIA to execute aggressive tactics while maintaining cohesion and mid-round decision-making.
Challenges remain in achieving consistent results at the global level, particularly against elite European and North American teams. FURIA will need to continue refining strategies, building roster synergy, and gaining experience in S-tier tournaments to secure a more permanent position among the world’s top squads.
Looking toward 2026, FURIA aims to cement its status as a leading Latin American team while expanding its impact on the international stage. With a balanced roster, focused coaching, and steady participation in major tournaments, the organization is poised to compete more effectively with elite CS2 teams and continue its upward trajectory in competitive Counter-Strike 2.
FURIA Esports Map Pool
Over the past three months, FURIA Esports has demonstrated strong map performance across their competitive schedule, highlighting both consistency and strategic depth. The team has been particularly dominant on Nuke and Overpass, winning 77.8% of their matches on each map, showcasing their preparation, utility usage, and coordinated executes. Train has also been a reliable map for the squad, with a 71.4% win rate, reflecting their ability to control key choke points and maintain pressure in mid-round situations. On Inferno, FURIA has achieved a 68.8% success rate, combining aggressive mid-round plays with disciplined site control. Mirage remains a solid choice at 61.5%, while Dust2 presents more of a challenge, with a 50% win rate, indicating opportunities for further refinement and strategic adjustments. Overall, these statistics underline FURIA’s versatility and adaptability across a variety of maps, cementing their reputation as one of Latin America’s top CS2 teams
paiN Gaming form. What result can be expected from paiN Gaming
paiN Gaming in 2025 continued to show stable performance on the international CS2 scene, although results were sometimes inconsistent. The team consists of biguzera, nqz, snow, dav1deuS, and dgt, combining experienced players with some young talents. Coach rikz helps the team coordinate better, develop strategies, and optimize map control.
- paiN Gaming 2025 roster: biguzera, nqz, snow, dav1deuS, dgt.
Coach rikz is responsible for analytics and match preparation, helping the team distribute roles efficiently and use smokes, flashes, and map positions effectively. This gradually translates into more coordinated play and better team combinations.
The season started with the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, where paiN Gaming finished 3–4 after losing in the semifinals 0:2 and earning $80,000. After that, results were mixed: at BLAST Rivals Spring 2025, they finished 7–8 with a 0:2 record ($10,000), and at PGL Astana 2025 — 12–14 with 0:2 ($9,375). These tournaments showed that the players’ individual skill level is high, but consistency and team synergy still needed improvement.
At PGL Bucharest 2025, paiN Gaming ended in 15–16th place, once again struggling to find their rhythm against top-tier opponents. However, their form slightly improved later — at the recently concluded IEM Chengdu 2025, the team achieved a 9–12th place finish, showing progress in coordination and mid-round decision-making.
During the summer, results remained unstable: at FISSURE Playground #1, the team placed 9–12 (0:2, $10,000), and at Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2025 — 17–20 (1:2, $4,500). On online tournaments like BLAST Bounty Fall 2025: Closed Qualifier, the team also failed to advance (0:2, $2,500). Despite the losses, these events allowed the team to practice strategies, map control, and rotations.
September was slightly better: at FISSURE Playground #2, the team finished 5–8 (0:2, $17,500). In October, at the CS Asia Championships 2025, they ended 9–12 (0:2, $4,000). While the placements were modest, these tournaments gave the team experience, helped refine communication, and worked on tactical schemes.
The team’s dynamics are clear: biguzera and snow consistently secure frags, dav1deuS and dgt play flexibly on different maps — Dust2, Nuke, and Mirage — while nqz manages rotations and strategic decisions. The team can balance aggression and control, helping them stay competitive even in tough matches.
Overall, paiN Gaming in 2025 proved they are still a serious team on the CS2 scene. Results are sometimes disappointing, but the players analyze mistakes, adjust tactics, and learn to play together. Every tournament gives them experience and an opportunity to improve, so the team has room for growth in upcoming competitions.
paiN Gaming Map Pool
Over the past three months, paiN Gaming’s performance across different maps in CS2 has shown clear strengths and weaknesses. Their most dominant map has been Nuke, where they have a 66.7% win rate as First Pick, making it a reliable choice in strategic drafts. Inferno has also been relatively solid at 57.1%, providing another map where the team can assert control. On the other hand, Mirage and Ancient have been more challenging, with win rates of 40.0% and 33.3% respectively, indicating areas where opponents can potentially exploit weaknesses. Dust2 has been particularly tough, yielding only 16.7%, and Overpass has been a complete struggle, with no wins recorded in the past three months. These statistics highlight the maps paiN Gaming is most comfortable on and where they will need to focus preparation to improve consistency and competitive results.
Head to Head: FURIA vs paiN
Over the years, FURIA Esports and paiN Gaming have built one of Brazil’s most competitive rivalries in Counter-Strike. As of their most recent encounter, FURIA leads the head-to-head record with 8 wins against paiN’s 3 across 11 official matches. Their previous statistics show a consistent edge for FURIA — by December 2024, they held a 6–1 lead, and by mid-2025, the score stood at 7–2 before paiN began closing the gap.
Several key matchups highlight this ongoing duel. On December 7, 2024, during the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024, FURIA claimed a 2–1 victory after dropping Vertigo but bouncing back on Mirage and Inferno. Later, on June 7, 2025, paiN struck back with a narrow 13–11 win on Dust II in the BLAST.tv Austin Major Swiss stage. Their rematch on June 20, 2025, in the same tournament’s quarter-finals, saw paiN again come out on top 2–1, marking one of their most significant wins over FURIA. However, FURIA reaffirmed their dominance on September 16, 2025, sweeping paiN 2–0 (13–4 on Inferno and 13–10 on Dust II) during FISSURE Playground #2.
Predicted result of the match FURIA – paiN at BLAST Rivals Season 2
Considering both teams current form and historical performance, FURIA Esports enters this matchup as a clear favorite and is strongly expected to claim a 2–0 victory. The team’s recent triumph at IEM Chengdu 2025, where they swept Team Vitality 3–0 in the grand final, demonstrates not only peak individual form but also tactical discipline and confidence under pressure. Their synergy, led by FalleN’s strategic depth and the consistency of KSCERATO and yuurih, gives them a decisive edge in both execution and mid-round adaptability.
In contrast, paiN Gaming has shown moments of promise but continues to struggle with stability against top-tier opponents. Their recent placements — 15–16th at PGL Bucharest 2025 and 9–12th at IEM Chengdu 2025 — highlight inconsistency in closing key rounds and adapting to aggressive teams like FURIA. Moreover, their weak map statistics on Overpass and Dust II further expose vulnerabilities that FURIA can efficiently exploit, especially given FURIA’s 70%+ win rate on Nuke, Overpass, and Inferno.
Given FURIA’s superior map pool, stronger leadership, and recent momentum, they are well-positioned to control both maps from start to finish. Unless paiN finds early rhythm and shuts down FURIA’s fast entries, the series will likely end in a clean 2–0 sweep in favor of FURIA.
Prediction: FURIA win 2:0.
