Complexity smash Liquid to earn last BLAST Fall Final spot

The new number one NA team made quick work of their old rival.

Complexity have become the eighth and final team to book a spot in the Royal Arena after dispatching of Liquid 2-0 (Anubis 16-4, Inferno 16-2). They had lost their last five matches against the long-time kings of NA in Liquid, but ended that streak in convincing fashion.

"The main problem these guys have had is their confidence was lacking," Jonathan "⁠EliGE⁠" Jablonowski said post-game. "That's what was holding them back. Every win we get against top teams is going to keep cementing that winning feeling and after that it's just fundamentals."

Liquid had to dig deep to even reach this far, needing three maps against Forsaken and Party Astronauts. In the final Complexity proved too tough a test for the "experimental" roster featuring Damian "⁠daps⁠" Steele as a secondary caller, ahead of a proposed transition to the Canadian as the team's IGL in CS2.

It was a difficult return to play for daps, who ended the event with a 0.81 rating in his first foray in officials since April 2022.

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The match exposed the colliding trajectories of the two rosters: Complexity on the up, and Liquid struggling in their transition period.

What might be the final top-tier CS:GO match began on Anubis, a map that Complexity have shown affection for all year and is now becoming a true home map. Complexity have won seven of their last eight games on the battleground, and made it eight out of nine with ease against a disjointed Liquid.

The only bright spark of Anubis for Liquid was Mareks "⁠YEKINDAR⁠" Gaļinskis, who came up clutch with several multi-kills as Liquid failed to outmatch the teamplay and layered utility of Complexity.

Even YEKINDAR, however, sometimes overplayed his hand: he was involved in 80% of Liquid's opening duels on map one, but was only successful in 45% of them as Liquid slumped to a 16-4 loss.

It was the same story on Inferno, as Complexity outcalled a Liquid side that still needed to look to its individuals for round wins.

Liquid mustered just two rounds on their T side of Inferno, trailing 13-2 at half-time. Johnny "⁠JT⁠" Theodosiou shut down YEKINDAR on Banana, neutralizing what had been Liquid's only threat on Anubis. Liquid could not get a comeback going, and Complexity swiftly closed Inferno out with a 16-2 score.

After a morale-boosting comeback from 12-6 down to FURIA in the semi-final, Complexity have now flexed their muscles and shown they can dominate. They go into CS2 with a spot booked in the BLAST Fall Final and as the best team in the Americas.