Welcome, Counter-Strike 2 fans! The playoffs of BLAST Rivals Season 2 kick off today in Hong Kong, where the remaining teams will battle it out in a single-elimination format for a share of the $350,000 prize pool. From November 12 to 16, 2025, only the best of the best will survive — and today’s opening playoff match brings us an intense showdown between Team Spirit and Team Vitality.
Team Spirit enter the playoffs as one of the tournament’s most consistent performers, showcasing sharp coordination and the trademark confidence that carried them through the group stage. Meanwhile, Team Vitality — led by their experienced core and world-class riflers — are determined to reclaim their top-tier status and prove their playoff resilience.
With both sides known for their aggressive play and strategic depth, this first elimination clash is set to deliver a thrilling display of skill, mind games, and momentum shifts — a perfect way to open the playoff stage.
How the Bookies View It: Team Vitality Slightly Favoured
The playoff stage of BLAST Rivals Season 2 begins in Hong Kong with a high-stakes clash between Team Vitality and Team Spirit. According to bookmakers, Vitality enter the match as slight favourites with odds of 1.54, while Team Spirit are priced at 2.40, suggesting a competitive and unpredictable encounter. Vitality’s experienced lineup and structured approach give them a narrow edge on paper, but Spirit’s explosive playstyle and adaptability make them a dangerous opponent capable of turning the tide in key moments. With elimination on the line, both teams are expected to come out swinging, setting the stage for an intense opening playoff battle.
Team Spirit form. What result can be expected from Team Spirit
The 2023 season was intense for Spirit. The esports club played wherever they could, but they failed to achieve significant results. They started with participation in IEM Katowice 2023, where they finished in the top 12.
One of the biggest tournaments of 2023 for Spirit was ESL Pro League Season 17, where the "Dragons" placed 21st–28th, which was a poor result for them.
From mid-year to the end, Spirit played in smaller tournaments and performed quite successfully. Among their main achievements in the 2023 season were a victory at CCT North Europe Series #6, second place at CCT Online Finals #2, and wins at Dunav Party LAN and Thunderpick World Championship 2023: European Series #2.
- Team Spirit 2025 roster: chopper, sh1ro, donk, zweih, tN1R.
The 2024 season turned out clearly better for Team Spirit. From the beginning of the year, the team regularly reached finals or prize-winning positions in most tournaments.
At IEM Katowice 2024, Spirit started from the Play-In stage. There, they crushed Apeks 13-0 without a chance, and then confidently (except for two maps) defeated MongolZ 2-0, thus advancing to the group stage. The group stage also brought no issues: giving up only one map to NaVi, they easily beat CoL and FaZe Clan 2-0.
The IEM Katowice 2024 playoffs confirmed Spirit’s dominance — they easily shut down Falcons (2-0), and in the grand final, defeated FaZe even more confidently (3-0).
After their triumph at Katowice 2024, Spirit went to PGL CS2 Copenhagen Major 2024, where they reached the playoffs but lost to FaZe Clan in the first round of the main stage. Final standing — top 8.
At BB Dacha, Spirit showed decent performance, but a 0-3 loss to MOUZ in the grand final slightly spoiled the impression.
At IEM Dallas 2024, Spirit went through the group stage very easily, not dropping a single map in Group B. However, they couldn't go all the way in the playoffs: Vitality interfered at the top-4 stage and knocked them out of the tournament.
Later, Spirit won BLAST Premier: Spring Final 2024. After that came a string of unsuccessful performances: top 8 and top 16 at Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2024.
At ESL Pro League Season 20, Spirit played slightly worse. The team got a series of wins, but in the playoffs lost to NaVi and finished 5th–8th.
Spirit also played at BLAST Premier: Fall Final 2024, where they again failed to find success — only top 6. At BLAST Premier: World Final 2024, Spirit started in Group B, competing with G2 Esports, Vitality, and Liquid. The final score was 1-1: a win against Vitality and a loss to G2 in the seeding match. In the playoffs, they made it all the way to the grand final, where they once again lost to G2 with a score of 0-3.
The main tournament of the year for the team was the Shanghai Major 2024. In the Elimination stage, the team lost to FURIA, then defeated Wildcard and NaVi, and in the match for a full Bo3 series, beat Heroic.
In the PW Shanghai Major 2024 playoffs, Spirit started with a win over Liquid, defeated MOUZ in the semifinals, and in the grand final overcame FaZe, becoming world champions for the first time in the club's history.
The 2025 season has also been quite successful for Team Spirit. Among the main achievements are 1st place at BLAST Bounty Spring 2025 and PGL Astana 2025, 2nd place at IEM Katowice 2025, and 3rd–4th place at ESL Pro League Season 21, BLAST Open Spring 2025, and BLAST Rivals Spring 2025.
At IEM Cologne 2025, Team Spirit defeated HEROIC, Aurora Gaming, and MOUZ, qualifying directly for the Semifinals. In the Semifinals, the team defeated Natus Vincere, and in the grand final, beat MOUZ 3-0, becoming the champions of the tournament.
Team Spirit continued their successful run by winning BLAST Bounty Fall 2025, defeating VP, MOUZ, and Mongolz.
However, at the Esports World Cup, Spirit performed poorly. The team unexpectedly lost to HEROIC 1-2 in the first match, being eliminated from the tournament and finishing in the top 16.
At ESL Pro League Season 22, Team Spirit went 3-0 in Stage 2 but lost their first playoff match to FaZe Clan and were eliminated from the tournament, finishing in 5th–8th place.
At IEM Chengdu 2025, Team Spirit performed below expectations. The team started with a victory over paiN Gaming but then lost to Team Falcons and dropped to the lower bracket. In the Lower Bracket Semifinal, Team Spirit defeated HEROIC, but in the Lower Bracket Final, they lost to The Mongolz and were eliminated from the tournament, finishing 7th–8th.
Team Spirit Map Pool
Team Spirit have been showing solid form over the past three months, especially on Ancient and Overpass, where they hold 80% and 66.7% win rates. Mirage also looks good with 63.6%, while Dust2, often their first pick, sits at 55.6%. The only weak spot right now is Nuke, with just 28.6% wins. It’s also worth noting that Inferno is their permanent ban, as the team clearly avoids that map in their current pool.
Vitality form. What result can be expected from Vitality
Team Vitality in 2025 has firmly established itself as one of the most dominant organizations in the European CS2 scene, combining elite individual talent, strategic depth, and a proven winning mentality. Founded in 2013 and transitioning successfully into Counter‑Strike 2, Vitality has consistently demonstrated its ability to compete at the highest level, blending experienced leadership with young stars capable of turning games around in crucial moments.
The 2025 roster features some of the biggest names in competitive Counter-Strike: Dan “apEX” Madesclaire serves as the captain and IGL, providing tactical guidance and leadership; Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut stands out as one of the world’s top AWPers and riflers; Shahar “flameZ” Shushan and William “mezii” Merriman bring flexibility and consistent firepower to the rifling positions; and Robin “ropz” Kool, signed in early 2025, adds star-level skill and stability. This combination of experience and raw talent gives Vitality the ability to execute complex strategies and adapt to opponents at all levels.
- Team Vitality 2025 roster: apEX, ZywOo, flameZ, mezii, ropz.
Vitality’s 2025 campaign has been marked by sustained success across premier tournaments. They kicked off the year with victories at BLAST Rivals Spring 2025 (3:2) and IEM Melbourne 2025 (3:2), followed by dominant performances at Intel Extreme Masters Dallas 2025 (3:0) and BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 (2:1), claiming large prize pools and reinforcing their status as one of the top global squads.
In the summer, Vitality reached the grand final of Intel Extreme Masters Chengdu 2025, where they ultimately fell to FURIA in a 3:0 sweep — a rare setback that nonetheless showcased their consistency and ability to reach the late stages of major events.
Later that year, the team placed 3rd–4th at IEM Cologne 2025 ($80,000) and 4th at the Esports World Cup 2025 ($70,000), while also finishing as runners-up at BLAST Open Fall 2025 (2nd, $60,000). Vitality consistently proved their strength online as well, qualifying through BLAST Open Fall 2025: Closed Qualifier (2:1). Their autumn campaign was capped with a commanding victory at ESL Pro League Season 22 (3:0, $100,000), demonstrating both tactical superiority and mechanical precision. Additionally, their triumph in ESL Grand Slam Season 5 earlier in the year, earning $1,000,000, underlined their sustained dominance across multiple S-tier events.
Throughout the year, Vitality’s success has relied on the synergy of its roster. apEX provides in-game leadership and decision-making; ZywOo’s exceptional aim and versatility make him a constant threat; ropz adds calm and consistency in pressure situations; flameZ and mezii contribute crucial rifling depth and flexibility. Together, this balance of experience and talent allows Vitality to maintain control over maps, execute complex strategies, and adapt to opponents’ playstyles.
Vitality Map Pool
Over the past three months, Team Vitality has demonstrated clear strengths across its map pool, with Dust2 emerging as their most dominant map, particularly as a first pick, boasting a remarkable 90% win rate. Inferno has also proven to be a reliable choice, with a 75% success rate reflecting strong mid-round control and site execution. Nuke and Overpass remain solid options at 62.5% and 60% respectively, showing tactical flexibility and good defensive setups. Mirage presents moderate success with a 54.5% win rate, indicating room for refinement in both utility usage and entry strategies. Train has been more challenging, with a 42.9% win rate, suggesting the team may prioritize adjustments and practice to strengthen performance on this map. Overall, these statistics highlight Vitality’s adaptability and strategic depth, making them a formidable opponent across a wide range of maps.
Head-to-Head: Team Vitality vs Team Spirit
The rivalry between Team Vitality and Team Spirit in Counter-Strike 2 has produced several high-stakes clashes across major tournaments. At IEM Katowice 2025, Vitality showcased dominant form, sweeping Spirit 3-0 with decisive wins on Dust II (13-6), Nuke (13-5), and Mirage (13-11). Earlier, however, Spirit had their moments of success — at the BLAST Premier: World Final 2024, they triumphed 2-0 in the Group Stage, taking Anubis (13-9) and Mirage (13-11). Spirit also overcame Vitality at the BLAST Premier: Spring Final 2024, winning 2-1 after recovering from a Mirage loss to take Dust II and Anubis. Most recently, Vitality struck back at BLAST Rivals Spring 2025, securing a clean 2-0 victory with solid performances on Mirage (13-8) and Nuke (13-9).
Overall, Vitality currently hold the upper hand, winning the majority of their recent encounters, though Spirit have proven capable of upsetting them in key moments. Their meetings remain closely contested, often decided by tactical depth and mid-round adaptability.
Match Prediction: Team Spirit vs Team Vitality
This matchup between Team Spirit and Team Vitality promises to be one of the most anticipated clashes of the BLAST Rivals Season 2 playoffs. Both teams enter the arena with strong form and proven international pedigree, setting the stage for a series that could easily go the full distance. Spirit, backed by their explosive young talent donk and the stability of chopper and sh1ro, continue to thrive on dynamic map control and aggressive mid-round calls. Their current form across Ancient and Overpass makes them a serious threat, especially if they can dictate the pace early.
On the other side, Vitality approach the series with a deeper tactical playbook and more consistent map versatility. ZywOo remains the X-factor, capable of taking over entire maps with his mechanical precision, while ropz and flameZ provide balance and adaptability that often tip tight rounds in Vitality’s favor. Their dominant record on Dust2 and Inferno suggests they’ll be confident heading into the veto phase.
Given Spirit’s strong fundamentals and Vitality’s superior experience, this encounter is expected to be fiercely competitive. The momentum could shift several times throughout the series, with both sides likely to trade maps. However, considering Vitality’s stable late-round decision-making and recent success in elite-level finals, they hold a slight edge. Prediction: Vitality to win 2-1, with the total maps expected to go over 2.5, as both squads push each other to the limit in this high-stakes playoff opener.
Prediction: Team Vitality win.
