BLAST Premier Fall Groups Preview: Groups B and D

The BLAST Premier Fall Groups features sixteen of the top teams in Counter-Strike. With this event being one of the first events of the new season, it will be interesting to see how the teams pan out in Copenhagen. Here’s a quick preview of Groups B and D at the BLAST Premier Fall Groups 2024.

Vitality comes in as the favorites in Group B - clearly the favorites but facing strong competition from the rest of the group. Featuring one of the best players in the world, Vitality did not make a significant impact at the Esports World Cup. They finished in the top eight at the Esports World Cup. At the same time, they had a top-four finish at BLAST Premier Spring Finals, which is below expectations for a team that boasts some of the biggest names in Counter-Strike. The consistent results outside of the top four will have an impact on the team’s mentality and their performance. 

GamerLegion added aNdu on a permanent basis starting July 12 and the player has had a very positive impact on the team’s results. The team’s performance has improved after the player’s signing and it was quite obvious that the team rewarded him with the permanent signing. However, the team is not at the same level as Vitality or some of the other teams in this group. The team has been competing in lower-tier events and they finished top four at the Regional Clash Arena Europe. They have been unable to crack into the top four at any of the big tournaments - which is something that has eluded the players and fans. 

Astralis and Falcons remain the same and it will be interesting to see how they match up against Vitality and more importantly, against each other at Fall Finals. Astralis will face off against Falcons in their opening match and will hope for a 2-0 start to their tournament run. 

Team Liquid have had a number of roster changes before this event. The team signed mithR as the team’s coach before also adding ultimate and jks to their Counter-Strike roster. The team did not have much success in the previous roster - they had a top eight finish at IEM Dallas 2024. Before that they had a similar performance at ESL pro League Season 19. 

NAVI is the team to beat at Fall Groups. The team comes into this event after a second place finish at BLAST Premier Spring Finals and a victory at Esports World Cup. While at Spring Finals in London, NAVI fell short against Team Spirit, they were able to move past G2 esports at the Esports World Cup. The team’s consistency against some of the top teams in the world is what makes it a favorite at Fall Groups. For NAVI, winning this event will ensure they move on to the next event that takes place later this year - the Fall Finals. 

Virtus.Pro and BIG are respectable teams that can put up quite a few surprises on their good days. Considering the quality of teams in this event, it should not come as a massive surprise if either VP or BIG even manage to top out the group. With Team Liquid featuring a very new roster, VP and BIG have a very good opportunity to put up a strong performance and even surprise others.

The BLAST Premier Fall Groups kicks off on July 29 and features some of the best Counter-Strike teams. The tournament will stream on Kick as the TO signed a deal with the broadcast platform. The top teams from the BLAST Premier Fall Groups will advance to the Fall Finals that take place later this month.

Stay tuned to esports.gg for the latest Counter-Strike news and updates.