The rise of TIER-2 teams and Vitality's championship are the key takeaways from the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023

The day before BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023, the last major in CS:GO, came to an end. The next World Championship will not take place until a year from now in Copenhagen. However, the past tournament gave enough reason for reflection, since many favorites not only failed, but even failed to make it to the play-offs. We can't deny Vitality who managed to wow the local crowd, but it's doubtful many were happy to see so many sensations. In this article we decided to summarize the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 and highlight the main storylines of the past championship.

Vitality was impossible to defeat

Before the Long Final play-offs it was clear that Vitality would be the contender for the championship. Many had assumed Heroic would face them in the final, but that was not the case. Yet Vitality's victory was in sight long before the Long Cognega quarterfinals, as they had already shown great play on the Legends Stage with convincing victories over G2 Esports, ENCE and Monte.

What's more, this win looks absolutely deserved, and there are several explanations for that: 1) the other favourites failed in the wilderness; 2) the roster got in crazy shape and found synergy. In general, after the victorious IEM Rio 2023, you could guess that Vitality would be one of the favourites in Paris. As practice has shown, many were not mistaken. As a result, the strongest team in the championship rightfully lifted the trophy over their heads, in addition they did not lose a single game to repeat and surpass the NAVI record in a number of parameters.

Can the team create its own era? It's hard to say, based on two championships so far. However, now that the scene is going through tough times and all the competitors are in a modest state, Vitality can take the reins and end the CS:GO era on a winning note.

The rise of TIER-2 level teams

After the RMR tournaments, many wondered how the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 featured some teams that had played in the CCT Series and similar championships for years. However, the major itself decided to dispel all doubts about the level of preparation of such teams, which have ceased to be afraid of favorites and dictate their terms time after time.

As a result, we got four surprise teams - Monte, GamerLegion, Apeks and Into the Breach. What do they have in common? First and foremost, endless grind in online tournaments. In four months, the Monte alone has played about 200 cards, several times outstripping the pro scene regulars in that respect. Secondly, these teams are used to playing matches every day, and sometimes several meetings a day. So it turned out that they were better prepared than the others to level out the excitement and overcome all the stages.

Having said that, we must not forget that they managed to surprise the favourites with their style. Perhaps notional MOUZ, OG, NAVI, ENCE are too used to a measured and slow pace, playing in their own vacuum. However, these guys came along and offered a completely different style that many just couldn't cope with.

The official opening of the transfer season

Despite the fact that the first half of the season is just over a month away, it is after BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 that many teams start to think about what to do next. And the organizations' management already knows that the transition to Counter-Strike 2 is ahead - so a change is a must.

You don't need to be an analyst or know the inner workings of the teams to know a few things:

• FURIA will not go without changes.
  
• OG have to find replacements for NEOFRAG and F1KU.
• MOUZ need spot replacements, including a change of captain.
• There will be a queue of top clubs for iM and BOROS.
• Aleksib's position in Ninjas in Pyjamas is in limbo.

It is also very interesting to follow the fate of the NAVI roster. After six months it is finally clear that npl is not doing well, so something has to be decided: give it another chance, or make a change. However, the organisation has very few options without affecting the positions of the other players.

In other words, the coming months will be extremely hectic in terms of transfers. And it was BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 that was the starting point for all future transfers.

BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 final results

• 1 place: Vitality - $500,000 + 3,500 points + entry to IEM Cologne 2023 and BLAST Premier World Final 2023.
• 2nd place: GamerLegion - $170,000 + 2,750 points
• 3-4 place: Apeks and Heroic - $80,000 + 1,775 points
• 5-8 place: Monte, Team Liquid, FaZe Clan and Into the Breach - $45,000 + 1,050 points
• 9-11 place: NAVI, fnatic and Ninjas in Pyjamas - $20,000
• 12-14 place: G2 Esports, ENCE and Bad News Eagles - $20,000
• 15th-16th place: FURIA and 9INE - $20,000
• 17-19 place: paiN Gaming, FORZE and Grayhound Gaming - $10,000
• 20-22 place: OG, Complexity Gaming and TheMongolz - $10,000
• 23-24 place: Fluxo and MOUZ - $10,000

In the world of gaming, Counter-Strike stands out as one of the most iconic first-person shooter games, captivating players for over two decades. With its competitive gameplay and dynamic team-based objectives, it has become a global esports sensation. As the game's popularity continues to surge, players are constantly on the lookout for the best CS2 trading sites. These platforms offer a secure and user-friendly marketplace for buying, selling, and trading in-game items, ensuring that every gamer can fully immerse themselves in the Counter-Strike experience.