Vitality meet 3DMAX in a Round 3 1–1 matchup at the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, with both teams looking to reach Stage 3. Welcome to EGamersWorld, we continue to follow the action from Austin as Vitality seek to bounce back from their G2 loss while 3DMAX aim for another upset. Given the form, the pressure is all on Vitality to avoid another shaky best-of-three.
How the bookies view it: Vitality favorite
Vitality are listed as overwhelming favorites, with bookies giving them around 85% implied win probability. Their pedigree, firepower, and past Major results place them far ahead on paper - 3DMAX, despite showing grit in previous matches, are clearly seen as the underdog in this duel.
3DMAX form. What result can be expected from 3DMAX
3DMAX pulled off one of the early surprises of the event by taking down Imperial in their opening match and putting up a fight against Eternal Fire in a 1–2 loss. The roster has shown promise, especially when bodyy and Graviti get space to work on T sides. While they still struggle in closing out high-pressure rounds, their confidence and structure have looked better than expected for a team at their level.
- bodyy
- Graviti
- lucky
- matHEND
- Keoz
They did well against G2, and deservedly made it to Stage 3, if we talk about the tournament as a whole, so I'll be happy to see them in the playoffs. This time their opponent is much stronger, and most importantly a more stable player on the stage, so you shouldn't expect a Brazilian miracle, if you know what I mean...
Vitality form. What result can be expected from Vitality
Vitality started the tournament strong with a win over TheMongolz but looked surprisingly flat in their 0–2 loss to G2. Both maps were close, but they struggled in late-round scenarios and lost key clutches that turned the tide. ZywOo has remained consistent, but flameZ has cooled off slightly since his Katowice form. Their T side cohesion was lacking, particularly on Nuke.
- ZywOo
- apEX
- flameZ
- Spinx
- mezii
Here we should return to miracles, as it was in the match against Legacy - amazing and unpredictable. So, there is less unpredictability here, that is, if we follow this logic, 3DMAX looks like a more suitable winner over Vitality, unlike the Brazilians, so they definitely will not win. And now, without absurd interpretations, we should not expect a lucky shot. 3DMAX has a chance against Vitality, and they realize it, especially when it comes to Bo1, but the favorite is heated and radiates pressure on the French roster, so this time there are no miracles.
Recent head to head: Vitality edging it
These teams haven’t met in a recorded best-of-three since the start of 2024, and any past online scrims or qualifiers aren’t reflective of current form. That said, Vitality’s core has played dozens of Tier-1 matches this year, while 3DMAX are still adjusting to consistent international LAN play. Experience clearly favors Vitality here.
Players to watch: Graviti and ZywOo
Graviti was the breakout name for 3DMAX in their win over Imperial and continued to show sharp aim against Eternal Fire. If he gets a good start on the CT side, 3DMAX can build economy early and stall Vitality’s mid-round executes. On the other side, ZywOo remains the safest bet for Vitality. Even in their loss to G2, he dropped multi-kills and bailed them out of several man-disadvantage rounds. Expect him to dominate slower-paced maps.
Probable map picks
Vitality will likely avoid Overpass and target either Mirage or Nuke as their pick. 3DMAX tend to steer toward Inferno or Ancient, depending on how the veto goes. The third map could swing to Vertigo or Anubis, depending on bans and comfort zones.
Which maps does pick and ban most often 3DMAX?
3DMAX usually ban Anubis or Nuke, leaning toward Inferno or Ancient for their comfort pick. They’ve had decent T side success on Inferno, especially when bodyy gets early banana control. Their Vertigo is inconsistent, but they’ve played it enough to leave it open as a decider.
Which maps does pick and ban most often Vitality?
Vitality’s permaban remains Ancient, which won’t be a problem unless 3DMAX force a decider there. They’ve looked sharp on Mirage and Nuke throughout the year, with ZywOo and flameZ performing well in mid control and site entries. Their Overpass has been shaky recently and might be avoided.
Anything else catch the eye?
3DMAX have better early-round stats than expected, often converting opening kills into round wins. Their issue is in retake coordination and post-plant positioning. Against a team like Vitality, that weakness will be heavily punished. Vitality also have a significant edge in utility damage and trade kill efficiency—key stats when games slow down. If 3DMAX can’t disrupt that rhythm, they’ll struggle to get more than 10 rounds per map.
Predicted result of the match
Unless Vitality underperform again or let 3DMAX pick into a perfect comfort map, this series should be over quickly for Austin Major Stage 3. Even if 3DMAX manage to steal a map, the skill gap on the decider would be too wide to bridge.
Predicted Winner: Vitality
