The regular season of Blast Premier: Fall 2020 is set to wrap up, as 12 teams will compete from October 26 to November 4 to claim spots at the Fall Finals and the Fall Showdown.
As always, this means we can expect to see a ton of exciting games as the best of the best in Counter-Strike battle it out. As an added bonus, we’ll finally see European and American teams face off for the first time since March.
Let’s take a look at the event format and which teams are set to compete.
Who’s Playing at Blast Premier: Fall 2020 Regular Season?
This edition of Blast is set to be one of the most exciting yet, as 12 of the best teams in the world will compete for spots at the finals as well as the showdown stage. You can expect to see all of the favorites, including Astralis, Vitality, Furia, Evil Geniuses and many more.
The American teams have even traveled to Europe for this event, giving us a look at how the two regions will match up on even terms.
When it comes to the event itself, we’re set to see just the groups, as the 12 teams have been split into three groups of four and the top two teams of each group advance to the finals, while the other two go to the showdown stage.
It’s somewhat of a qualifier event, but there’s still a ton on the line. For the top two of each group, it’s a spot in the $425,000 prize pool finals, while the others advance to the showdown, where a 16-team single-elimination playoff will decide two more teams for the finals.
You can check out the groups and each team’s odds to win their group below:
Group A
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Natus Vincere | +100 |
| Evil Geniuses | +230 |
| OG | +250 |
| Ninjas in Pyjamas | +900 |
Group B
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Vitality | +120 |
| BIG | +270 |
| FaZe | +300 |
| Complexity | +500 |
Group C
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Astralis | -125 |
| Furia | +160 |
| G2 | +330 |
| MIBR | +4000 |
Favorites look to dominate
The three group favorites Astralis, Na’Vi and Vitality are all set to dominate their groups, being by far the strongest teams in each group.
Natus Vincere find themselves in group A with Ninjas in Pyjamas, Evil Geniuses and OG. All of these should be no problem for the CIS squad, which is currently in top form and houses some of the best players in the world. The one matchup to watch here would be Na’Vi vs Evil Geniuses, as the American squad could surprise. However, overall the European region is stronger in CS:GO, so there shouldn’t be much contest.
Moving to Group B, Vitality are the favorites as they face Complexity, Big and FaZe Clan. If you’ve been following the scene lately, you know just how simple things look for the French squad.
Complexity and FaZe are both in roster turmoil, with the former losing one of their best players and currently rebuilding, while the latter are set to lose their superstar in the near future. The only real threat would be BIG, but Vitality demolished them on October 22 in a very convincing 2-0.
Last but not least is Group C, where current world No. 1 Astralis battles MIBR, Furia and G2 Esports. Once again things are looking very good for the favorites. Not only is Astralis currently the best in the world, but their opponents (other than Furia) are also unconvincing.
At the moment MIBR have only two confirmed players, following a total rebuild which saw three of their five players leave the team. Meanwhile, G2 are down on their luck, having won just two in their last 13 matches. Furia, however, could be a threat. Much like EG, they have come over from America so there’s a bit of a mystery on how they’ll do in Europe, but considering the strength of the region, and Astralis’ skills, first place should be all but secured.
Second place up for grabs in each group
While the favorites are favorites for a reason, second place in the group, and a spot in the finals, is still wide open.
Each group has the potential to be very competitive for second, as there’s a mixture of teams in similarly poor form, a lack of edge from the second favorites, and the lack of information about the Europe vs America matchups.
For example, in Group A, Evil Geniuses are the second favorites at +230, followed closely by OG at +250. Either team could realistically take second, but it’s very difficult to tell who. EG have been a dominant force in America and are looking in good form, however, there’s no way to tell how that will transition to matches against European opposition – teams they haven’t faced for over six months.
A similar story can be found in the other groups and if one thing’s for sure, it’s that we’re in for a brawl for second place.
