In the vibrant heart of Singapore, where the neon lights dance against the backdrop of a bustling city, the BLAST Premier: World Final 2024 was underway. With a staggering prize pool of USD$1,000,000, the stakes were monumental as Counter-Strike’s best clashed in the Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) tournament organised by the Denmark-based esports media production house.
The first-ever S-tiered CS2 tournament hosted in Southeast Asia, G2 Esports were crowned champions after their convincing 3-0 sweep of Team Spirit in the grand final. Riding on the energy from a sold-out event at the Resorts World Sentosa Convention Centre, this also marks the team’s third addition to the trophy cabinet this year – with victories at the Intel Extreme Masters Dallas 2024 in June, and during the BLAST Premier: Fall Final 2024 in September.
The long-running tactical first-person shooting game continues to draw in new fans and players, peaking at about 100,000 concurrent live viewers on BLAST’s official Twitch livestream alone. Over the course of the tournament, we had the privilege of sitting down with players and coaches from four of the eight qualified teams – G2 Esports, FaZe Clan, Natus Vincere, and Team Vitality – each sharing their unique perspectives navigating the business end of the season.
*All interviews were conducted before the final day of the event.
G2 Esports: Humility amid Success
For G2, their last placed finish at IEM Rio last month is nothing but a distant memory. Leading up to this tournament, the team was grappling with inconsistency, despite being under the steady hand of their coach, Wiktor “TaZ” Wojtas. After an abysmal start against Team Liquid in their opener, where they bagelled the first map 13-0, G2 never looked back, and completed their Cinderella run under the wing of TaZ.
Once a household name, TaZ was part of the Golden Five, a nickname given to a tight-knit group of Polish players that dominated the Counter-Strike’s professional scene from 2006 to 2008. Having joined G2 at the start of this year – it’s been a rollercoaster journey for the 38-year-old. The world witnessed G2’s young phenom Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov put on a clinic, lighting up the scoreboard with a whopping 52 kills during the grand final – bagging the tournament MVP award for his stellar play all throughout the tournament.
TaZ had nothing but praise for his team, emphasising the importance of unsung heroes — the players who may not shine in statistics but are vital to team success with their intangible contributions. This was evident in G2’s dominant grand final performance, with role players lining up perfectly-timed flash and smoke grenades like clockwork.
In a high-pressure game like Counter-Strike, fans are quick to pay attention to the flashy plays and highlight reel manoeuvres. Through it all, Taz’s focus on sacrifice, fostering a trusting environment that puts egos aside – was the key to their success in Sentosa. A huge confidence boost, he knows that the ceiling is very high for this newly formed roster, mentioning that this team still has more in their locker.
“We’re still learning how to gel as a team,” TaZ reflected. “This lineup has only been together for a few months; it’s not long enough for everyone to find their rhythm.”
Despite his immense experience and wisdom as a player, TaZ was quick to highlight that it’s all new for him as a coach, on the back of a recent unflattering soundbite of him trying to motivate his players during IEM Rio during an in-game timeout.
TaZ just says it how it is 😅 #IEM
Posted by ESL Counter-Strike on Monday, October 7, 2024
“I’m still figuring things out too. I know I’m a rookie coach in many ways,” TaZ admits with humility. “I can tell you that this timeout wasn’t the best, but also, there are a lot of talks which are not released for the public,” he revealed.
Then again, having received his fair share of criticism both as a player in the past and as a coach now, TaZ knows not to take things too seriously. “We are here also for the viewers, for some memes and stuff like this. I also understand the production (value) in this sense,” he said with a smirk on his face.
“I don’t mind being in this position. I’m a coach, so hopefully all the hate will always hit me, not the players, and I’m experienced enough to deal with it.” With star player Nikola “NiKo” Kovač set to leave G2 after the Shanghai major in December – TaZ will be hoping to soak up all the pressure off of his players, and give NiKo his elusive major title win.
FaZe Clan: The Double-Edged Sword of Experience
For Finn “Karrigan” Andersen, experience is both a blessing and a burden. FaZe Clan team’s seasoned in-game leader (IGL), with nearly two decades of experience in competitive Counter-Strike, reflects on the complexities of leading FaZe under pressure.
“I wish I had the key to unlock our comeback potential from the start,” the oldest Intel Grand Slam winner muses. Despite their quarter-final exit to Team Spirit — the 34-year-old Dane remains unfazed. “This team works in mysterious ways.”
Finalists for the PGL Counter-Strike 2 Major Copenhagen earlier in March, inconsistent results and shock exits in the second half of this year saw the once number-one-ranked FaZe Clan (from February to May 2024) fall to sixth at the time of writing. Pundits and analysts believe the roster is on a knife’s edge after eight straight events without a trophy or a grand final appearance.
Despite sky-high expectations and the mounting pressure, Karrigan’s resolute reflective attitude in the face of immense criticism and adversity is arguably what keeps him at the pinnacle of Counter-Strike all these years.
Karrigan had zero interest in all the slander. He instead mulled over the difficulty talking with his team, consisting of rain, broky, ropz, and frozen, about their mental lapses.
“It’s hard for me to talk with them about frustration,” Karrigan admits candidly. “I try to protect them from faults and encourage them to focus on what they can control,” Karrigan, like a father stressing over his children.
His commitment to fostering resilience within his squad is evident as he acknowledges that while performances have improved, they still fall short of his own personal expectations. With one last chance at a major title this year in Shanghai next month, he’s ready to throw caution to the wind, making it clear to his boys that it’s now or never.
“It is for sure time to launch the red button – we need to go all in.”
Natus Vincere: The Weight of Expectations
Over at Natus Vincere (NaVi), their run of good form took a turn for the worse. After six consecutive grand final appearances, FaZe Clan was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Rifler Justinas “jL” Lekavicius, fresh off his MVP performance at the IEM Rio de Janeiro Final, spent five minutes staring blankly into the distance moments after his team crashed out of the tournament in last place. Nobody saw this result coming – especially jL himself.
Joining the NaVi roster in the middle of 2023, the 25-year-old Lithuanian has been the missing piece for NaVi, establishing himself with consistent impact and presence in the server. Many pundits and fans expect him to make the coveted HLTV list of Top 20 players of 2024. Beyond the game – his jovial and bubbly personality has brought much-needed life to NaVi. Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen, their in-game leader, said that without jL, it would feel like a “24/7 graveyard”.
“I don’t have a BLAST trophy yet. So it would be nice to have this little triangle in my HLTV profile,” jL jokes, alluding to the coveted pyramidic trophy. It’s a shame that he’ll have to wait, but there’s no doubt about his level of passion going into the BLAST Premier World Finals despite his team’s shock exit.
Sometimes things don’t go your way, but the atmosphere within Natus Vincere is charged with camaraderie — bolstered by Aleksib’s unwavering belief in his team. Despite being 10-2 down against MOUZ in the deciding round of the IEM Rio Final, Aleksib never lost faith in his team.
This tenacity permeates the team dynamic, with jL noting that Aleksib’s presence transforms their approach to adversity. “Belief is what he brings to this team. He always believes in us and himself.”
Nonetheless, NaVi can’t be too disappointed. With this resolve and belief – Singapore will hopefully be a small misstep in their already stellar year.
Team Vitality: A New Chapter with JACKZ
Finally, Team Vitality entered this tournament under unique circumstances. Veteran IGL Dan “apEX” Madesclaire led them through a last-minute roster change, with experienced utility player Audric “JACKZ” Jug standing-in for William “mezii” Merriman who had to attend to the birth of his child. ApEX views this tournament as a rare opportunity for his team to play without expectations and enjoy the game. “We’re taking this tournament to have good fun together and get in shape for Shanghai.”
A far cry from IEM Rio last month, where he looked visibly worried and unsettled as he expressed concern over his team’s lack of preparation, the Frenchman waltzed into the media room for this interview with a weight lifted off his shoulders.
If anything, ApEX was also on a sidequest in Singapore – to show the world that his fellow countryman JACKZ has still got it. “He brings good vibes; he’s really a great guy overall,” ApEX on the energy JACKZ brings to Team Vitality. “I hope we get good results here so he can find a new team because I know he doesn’t want this chapter closed yet.”
A semifinal finish was the best Team Vitality could muster, falling 2-1 against eventual winners G2. ApEX, being the harsh critic he is, reflected on his own slump in performance. “I want to be part of it all; sometimes I want to do too well for my team.” His introspection reveals the fact that he had to forgo individual successes for the collective triumph — a sacrifice that many IGLs have had to come to terms with. “I just miss being in the fight,” ApEX admits earnestly. “As an entry fragger at heart, I need to find that fire again.”
With the BLAST Premier: World Final 2024 done and dusted, all eyes are set on Shanghai for the upcoming CS2 Major. This highly anticipated event, officially named the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024, is scheduled to run from November 30 to December 15, 2024.
As teams gear up for a gruelling qualification process, they will be looking to secure one of 24 spots in this prestigious tournament, which boasts a prize pool of USD$1,250,000. With the stakes high and the competition fierce – Karrigan’s sentiments perfectly encapsulates what each team is hoping for to end their season on a high:
“You can imagine Counter-Strike as painting a picture; every player contributes with their brushstroke. As long as we stay true to ourselves and trust each other, we can paint something beautiful.” With the teams preparing for one last salvo, they carry with them the lessons learned from Singapore – and the hope of painting a masterpiece in Shanghai.
Everything changed when his parents bought him a PlayStation 2 for Christmas. Since then, he’s been hooked on all things esports, video games, and music. If he’s not livestreaming his shenanigans, he’s probably out taking mirror-selfies with his friends, vigorously debating over the Internet’s Meme of the Year.
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