G2 clinched a grand final spot at BLAST Premier World Final with a 2-1 win over Vitality, taking Dust2 (13-10) and Mirage (13-8), despite an unexpected 7-13 loss on Inferno. The match was anticipated to be a straightforward victory for G2, given that Vitality was playing with a stand-in. However, the series proved to be closer than expected, with Vitality managing to take Inferno and put up a fight on the other two maps.
G2’s performance was marred by occasional errors that kept the match close. A few rounds were impacted by questionable decisions, as highlighted by Janko “YNk” Paunović, and they lost some key moments due to loose mid-round play.
In the end, G2’s individual skill carried them through, with standout performances from Nikola “NiKo” Kovač and Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov overcoming an unusually subdued Vitality. Vitality’s key player, Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut, was quieter than usual, while Shahar “flameZ” Shushan struggled on Dust2, and Dan “apEX” Madesclaire couldn’t find his footing throughout the series. Audric “JACKZ” Jug led Vitality in kills during their map win, highlighting Vitality’s struggles with individual performances.
This grand final opportunity offers G2 the perfect chance to recover from their disappointing IEM Rio showing. They will now face the winner of Spirit vs. Astralis in a best-of-five for the championship.
On Dust2, G2 experienced a shaky second half after building a 9-3 lead on their CT side. A few missteps, including missed smokes and unguarded angles, allowed Vitality to close the gap, but G2’s lead was ultimately too much, resulting in a 13-10 victory.
Inferno took a surprising turn. G2 initially appeared dominant, establishing a 6-1 T-side lead, but JACKZ’s decisive 4k hold from Pit shifted the momentum, allowing Vitality to control the map. ZywOo’s ace in the second half sealed the map for Vitality, pushing the series to a final map.
Mirage went more smoothly for G2. Thanks to m0NESY’s exceptional AWPing on the CT side, G2 held a strong first half and then dominated on their T side. Vitality managed only a few rounds, stemming from early aggressive plays in top Middle, but G2 ultimately took the win comfortably.
