OG one win away from Spring Final after HEROIC demolition

k1to and company will face off against SAW for a spot in London.

OG have eliminated HEROIC from the BLAST Spring Showdown after a dominant 2-0 victory (Vertigo 13-5, Mirage 13-6). They now move on to the qualification match, where they will face off against another underdog in SAW for a spot at the BLAST Spring Final, held in London.

Date	Matches
BLAST Premier Spring Showdown 2024
10/03/2024	SAW 18:00 OG	Match

OG's win was made easier by the performance of their star duo, Nikita "⁠HeavyGod⁠" Martynenko (1.68 rating) and Iulian "⁠regali⁠" Harjău (1.42). The Israeli rifler joined James "⁠BanKs⁠" Banks in a post-match interview and admitted he feels more comfortable in an online environment. "I guess it's about being in a comfortable place at home, where I can do my routines. I also understand my previous mistakes, and have amazing support from my coach and IGL."

He also touched on OG's improvement since the RMR, where they posted a solitary win against Preasy. "We never gave up, it doesn't matter about the results. Obviously, it was painful, but the mood is really good right now," he said.

"We changed some stuff and gave a bit more freedom to other players, so everyone has more of a voice now."

For HEROIC, this is a disappointing elimination, especially considering Cloud9 were already eliminated on their side of the bracket. The team needed to beat three teams outside the top 20 in Ninjas in Pyjamas, OG, and SAW to punch in their ticket to London, but fell short in their second test.

The series began on Vertigo, and OG got off to a hot 7-2 start that proved enough for them to close out a one-sided victory. HEROIC posted just five rounds, with two coming from a pistol-round victory, and were visibly second-best against a well-oiled OG team that had all of their individuals putting up numbers.

Mirage was next, and HEROIC's pre-match record on the map suggested they should bring the series to a decider. That was not what happened, though, as HeavyGod and regali simply outshot their opposition and helped OG secure another dominant 13-6 victory. OG have thus qualified for the semi-final of the Showdown, with just SAW standing between them and the BLAST Spring Final.