The BLAST Open Lisbon 2025 tournament had a thrilling series of matches on March 24, 2025, where key teams faced off, reshaping the tournament’s landscape.
In a standout matchup, Eternal Fire confronted Natus Vincere (NAVI) in an intense contest, each vying for supremacy in the upper bracket finals of Group B. The stakes were high as both teams entered notable ranks globally: Eternal Fire was positioned as the fifth in the world, while NAVI stood strong at third.
The match unfolded at 11:35 AM local time. NAVI executed a dominate strategy, winning decisively with scores of 9:13 on Inferno and 5:13 on Dust2. With this success, NAVI secured a place in the quarter-finals of the tournament starting from the winners side.
On the same day, G2 battled against The MongolZ in another exciting clash, kicking off at 2:05 PM. The MongolZ, ranked sixth, displayed resilience when facing off against G2 who was just behind at seventh in the global rankings. Their match set a higher bar for North American teams as G2 propelled through their rounds, with standout performances from Ilya 'm0NESY' Osipov—who clinched a remarkable 53 kills over the series to help secure G2’s winning finishes, closing their games with scores of 13-9 on Ancient and 13-11 on Inferno.
The fate of North American teams painted a somber picture as both Liquid and M80 suffered considerable defeats, eliminating them from the tournament without winning a map. Liquid faced a dominant performance from The MongolZ, who took the lead early on Liquid’s choice of Anubis and never relinquished it. Justin 'jks' Savage managed to post a positive performance but lacked support from his teammates in critical clutch moments.
M80's resilience was commendable against G2, exhibiting a strong lead in their rounds, climbing to an 8-4 advantage early on Inferno. However, the powerful recuperation from m0NESY shifted the game's direction, leading G2 back into contention and ultimately triumphing.
The results from March 24 extended beyond individual matches as all participating North American teams were ousted from the tournament on that very day. Notably, it’s a dramatic shift in momentum for NA Counter-Strike, marking a day of sharp losses. Following their tournament exit, both Liquid and EliGE will prepare for PGL Bucharest, set to take place in two weeks alongside NA qualifier champions Complexity.
Elsewhere, Team Spirit showcased their mettle in the lower brackets, defeating Virtus.pro 2:0 and simultaneously securing their spot in the playoffs, where they are set to face the winner of the Eternal Fire vs. NAVI matchup.
The BLAST Open Lisbon 2025 continues through March 30, featuring a competitive field striving for a share of the $400,000 prize pool. Each match not only presents fierce competition but also critical implications for teams’ standings, rankings, and reputations within the esports community.
As the tournament progresses, spectators and fans alike eagerly anticipate more electrifying gameplay and surprising twists that the remaining teams will bring to the arena.
