Na’Vi demolishes Astralis, wins BLAST Premier Global Finals

The BLAST Premier Global Finals culminated in an electrifying clash between two esports titans, determining the inaugural Counter-Strike champion for 2021 in a high-stakes environment.

While analysts anticipated a fiercely contested battle between Astralis and Natus Vincere, the reality unfolded quite differently. Na’Vi established early momentum on Nuke and systematically dismantled Astralis’s attempted Inferno resurgence, capturing the championship trophy in a remarkably efficient two-map performance.

Map selection through the veto process positioned Nuke as the opening battleground. Contrary to established tactical wisdom favoring Counter-Terrorist advantages, Na’Vi immediately exploited vulnerabilities in Astralis’s defensive setups. Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev spearheaded the assault, continuing his squad’s remarkable proficiency on this specific arena.

Despite inconsistent performances across CS:GO’s competitive map pool, Na’Vi maintained an impressive 14-4 record on Nuke throughout the preceding three months. The initial half concluded with a 9-6 advantage for the Ukrainian organization, and although Astralis managed limited traction during their Terrorist phase, s1mple’s relentless AWP aggression combined with an astonishing mid-air Desert Eagle elimination of Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander sealed the map at 16-12.

s1mple’s Dominant Performance Drives Na’Vi Victory

s1mple commanded server control throughout both halves, culminating in Nuke with 29 eliminations and an exceptional 106.9 average damage per round. His supporting cast also elevated their gameplay significantly – Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy and Egor “flamie” Vasilyev both exceeded 100 ADR thresholds after struggling during the tournament’s earlier stages.

Inferno represented Astralis’s primary opportunity to level the series, particularly given Na’Vi’s historically modest success rate on this terrain. The Danish squad dropped the initial pistol round but secured a bomb plant and four kills in the subsequent round, enabling a robust third-round purchase that positioned them favorably.

This promising start marked the pinnacle of Astralis’s first-half accomplishments. Na’Vi seized comprehensive control from that juncture forward, concluding with a startling 10-5 half as they neutralized Astralis’s offensive initiatives completely.

The second-half pistol round evolved into a tense one-versus-one duel between Perfecto and gla1ve, ultimately favoring Na’Vi and critically undermining Astralis’s comeback prospects. Despite several narrowly contested rounds, none ultimately swung in the Danish team’s favor. s1mple and his teammates definitively prevented Astralis from claiming the championship, overwhelming the Danish roster 16-5 to secure the BLAST Global Finals’ $400,000 grand prize with a clean 2-0 series sweep.

Beyond Na’Vi’s surprising dominance, the match showcased evolving roster strategies as both organizations deployed substitutes during the two-map series. Astralis integrated Lucas “Bubzkji” Andersen on Nuke while Valeriy “B1T” Vakhovskiy competed on Inferno for Na’Vi.

Although neither substitute substantially influenced the match outcome, their deployment demonstrated that six-player lineups and in-game substitutions are becoming standard practice in professional Counter-Strike.

Na’Vi and Astralis will renew their rivalry shortly during BLAST’s impending spring groups, commencing February 4.

No reproduction without permission：Game Guides Online » Na’Vi demolishes Astralis, wins BLAST Premier Global Finals Na'Vi dominates Astralis in BLAST Premier Global Finals with s1mple's MVP performance and strategic map control