The BLAST Pro Series Moscow is the first event after the Starladder Berlin Major It features six teams competing for a prize pool of $250,000. The BLAST Pro Series Moscow is the penultimate tournament in the BLAST Pro Series circuit after BLAST Pro Series condensed the season in August.
In this article, we look at some teams in this tournament, and how their recent roster changes will affect their performance at the Major.
BLAST Moscow is Na’Vi’s last tournament with Zeus on their roster as the IGL is looking forward to retiring after this event. While sources show, Na’Vi will welcome back Guardian to their roster, the organization has confirmed nothing yet.
S1mple plays the AWP on the team, but if these rumors of Guardian hold any ground, then S1mple should move to play the rifle. Despite their strong roster and the world’s best player on their team, Na’Vi could not move past the Quarterfinals at the Major.
With nothing to lose for the roster, as this is their last event with their current lineup; Na’Vi will be a dangerous team as an opponent. We might see Zeus adopt a different strategy going into this tournament, which might include unleashing his superstar players on S1mple and Electronic.
AVANGAR’s story is a dream run where the CIS team reached the Grand Finals of the Berlin Major. Their run was not a fluke as the team won matches against teams such as Vitality, Renegades amongst others.
The young nature of their roster allows the team to make unprecedented plays, surprising well-established rosters with their aggression. The team could not have reached so far in the Major if they did not have a high level of synergy and coordination.
AdreN is crucial to the team, even if he is not always the top-fragger on AVANGAR. He brings a new sense of confidence and purpose, guiding the youngsters to play their own game instead of focussing on countering their opponent.
The MIBR roster recently added kNgV- to their CS:GO team, a brave choice considering the player’s past. His attitude might not be the most conducive for building a team; however, the player is skilled and one of the best talents from South America.
MIBR has faced a rough few months, and with kNgV-, they can start building their new team from scratch. It will be difficult for Fallen to replace someone like Coldzera, with his high skill ceiling and aggressive gameplay. But if there is anyone from the region who plays like Coldzera, it is kNgV-.
The Finnish roster went into a slump after the IEM Katowice Major. There were little to no expectations of the team at the Berlin Major. However, the team rose to the occasion and reached the Playoffs.
Their Berlin Major run is interesting because the team was dead, having announced the addition of Sunny to replace AleksiB on their roster. The In-Game Leader was instrumental in ENCE’s rise in CS:GO rankings and he will be a valuable addition to any team he joins. ENCE will play their first tournament with Sunny.
The unpredictability of the tournament format means that any team could make it to the Grand finals. ENCE will have to put up good results right from the get-go if they are to reach the finals.
NIP extended Get_Right’s time with the team for two more events, at the BLAST Pro series and the V4 Future Sports Festival. Get_Right has limited time on the team, and we expect him to move into a management role. While Get_Right has had an illustrious career, his performance has seen a massive slump in recent months. NIP’s results directly relate to his performance and the team could not secure a Legends spot for the next Major.
NIP does not seem to be a team with a decent chance to win the BLAST Pro Series Moscow. This roster is dead as Get_Right will cease being a player for the organization in a few weeks. They can play the Kingmaker as they can upset several of the other teams at the tournament.
The BLAST Pro Series will be live on Twitch starting from September 13.