Vitality is the winner of BLAST.tv Austin Major following an impressive comeback against MongolZ, having lost the opening map. Vitality showed why they were the clear favourites coming into the tournament, a total domination from them in the final two maps saw the organisation lift the second Major in their history.
VETO
- The MongolZ removed Train
- Vitality removed Ancient
- The MongolZ picked Mirage
- Vitality picked Dust2
- Vitality removed Anubis
- The MongolZ removed Nuke
- Inferno was left over
Map 1: Mirage; Pick: MongolZ; Winner: MongolZ
Vitality’s 3-0 start to Mirage quickly met a feisty MongolZ side that took back control of the game from the first gun round, leading to them edging out the first half with a 7-5 lead. Switching over to defence MongolZ led a perfect defence as Vitality failed to pick up a single round. Winning the map 13-5, MongolZ took a surprising early lead in the Grand Finals of the Major. Senzu and 901 showed up with 20 kills each to put Vitality behind before heading to Dust 2.
Map 2: Dust 2; Pick: Vitality; Winner: Vitality
Having cruised past Vitality on Mirage, the MongolZ train was stopped in its tracks with a stunning Vitality performance. Coming off a demoralising defeat, Vitality managed to post a 9-3 half, leaving MongolZ speechless. While MongolZ did manage to win a round, Vitality closed the map without letting it get out of hand. Recovering from a bad Map 1, mezii put up a masterclass with a 1.91 rating and 20 kills.
Map 3: Inferno; Pick: Decider; Winner: Vitality
Failing to retaliate, MongolZ could not stop Vitality from continuing their domination of Dust 2. While the Asian side did manage to win rounds, they were few and far between, leading to Vitality taking over the first half with a dominant 9-3 scoreline. Losing the pistol round, MongolZ lost all hope for a comeback as Vitality marched onto victory. Dropping a few rounds on the way, Vitality sealed the deal with a B-side execute. mezii and flameZ, with 21 kills each, took it upon themselves to seal the second Major for Vitality.
What many expected to happen was that MongolZ failed to pull off a Cloud 9 despite their stunning performance throughout the event. However, credit where due, coming from a region that has little representation on the CS scene, speaks to the bright future for the players and the organisation. As they bid farewell to the USA with their heads held high, Team Vitality’s euphoria continues, having officially cemented their era in the history of esports.