Spirit clinched a spot in the BLAST Premier World Final grand final after defeating Astralis 2-1 in a competitive semi-final (Dust2 13-5, Vertigo 3-13, Ancient 13-5).
This outcome signals a strong comeback for Spirit, who had been struggling with consistency. It also supports donk’s prediction from earlier in the tournament. On media day, the young player had mentioned his belief that the team had improved, highlighting official matches as the true test of their progress.
Having proven their abilities, Spirit now eyes their fourth title this season.
Led by Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov, Spirit is set to face G2 in Sunday’s grand final at 10:00, hoping to break a four-game losing streak against Nikola “NiKo” Kovač and his squad.
The semi-final opened on Spirit’s map choice, Dust2, where the Russian side quickly took control, securing a 6-1 lead. Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov won several 1v1 duels against Nicolai “device” Reedtz, helping maintain their advantage. Astralis responded by attacking the B site effectively, reducing the gap to just two rounds at the half.
But as the second half began, Spirit regained full control, taking six straight rounds to earn a decisive 13-5 win and push the match to Vertigo.
Astralis capitalized on Spirit’s vulnerability on Vertigo, dominating throughout and taking a commanding 13-3 victory, forcing a decider on Ancient.
On the third map, Ancient, Spirit took an early lead by converting a second-round force-buy, extending it to 9-3. They maintained their hold to claim a solid 13-5 win, securing a grand final position in Singapore.
