Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s first Major of 2022 is now over in Antwerp. After two explosive weeks and an incredible final weekend, fans of the legendary FPS saw history in the making this past Sunday. Yet, while the playoffs showdown is where legends are made, the previous stages of the event also saw plenty of developments taking place.
So, considering how long and prestigious the PGL Major Antwerp is, it’s no surprise to learn that there are more winners than just the team which ended up lifting the trophy. After all, we saw some squads going above and beyond what were expected from them, even if they didn’t reach the arena this past weekend. In the same note, though, there are some teams that left Antwerp disappointed. Whether by an upset or not living up to their expectations, there were some disaster stories here, too.
To review both winning and losing sides of this Major, here’s our winners and losers of the tournament. As always, it’s impossible to cover all angles from all the teams in the competition, and for that reason, I’ve picked the ones who caught my attention the most. Anyhow, here is our winners and losers’ recap for PGL Major Antwerp 2022.
FROM ONE HUNDRED TO 2 – 3 – ASTRALIS
The Danish squad led by Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander came to Antwerp looking reinvigorated after a slump earlier in the year. Since adding Asger “farlig” Jensen to the roster, Astralis kept showing consistent improvements, and coming to Antwerp they weren’t favorites, but they were expected to at least reach the second stage of the tournament. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
Astralis started their run in Antwerp well enough. The Danes crushed their first opponent, IHC, but were immediately humbled in their game against Vitality. Astralis bounced back in the second day of the competition by winning a close match against MiBR, and from that point, they were one match away from advancing to the next stage. Spirit was next, and things started going downhill for Astralis. Team Spirit outclassed Astralis and took advantage of Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth underwhelming for to win their game.
In the final day of the opening stage of the Major, Astralis would face their rivals from another era, Team Liquid. The North Americans were looking weak, and many considered that match almost as a free ticket for the Danes. Yet, Nicholas “nitr0” Cannella choose the right time to step up for his team, and the Americans ended finishing Astralis run right there after a difficult yet clean best-of-three, with Astralis closing the series without a map.
It’s unfortunate that all progress Astralis made through these past weeks weren’t enough. Yet, it’s inarguable that Astralis biggest issue wasn’t their newest addition but instead one of the two players that remain from the Major winning core. Xyp9x was a liability for the team, and his overall HLTV 2.0 event rating was a sharp decline compared to Stockholm’s Challenger Stage, which wasn’t great either. Astralis has left Antwerp knowing that another roster change is coming.
SWEDEN LIVES – NiP
While Ninjas in Pyjamas ended Antwerp in 5th – 8th place just like they did back in Stockholm, there’s plenty of difference from the NiP we had then and the one we have now. For some context, back last year NiP attended the Major with Linus “LNZ” Holtäng and Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz. While dev1ce is, of course, a living legend, LNZ place in that team was often questioned. He was one of the academy players NiP trialled last year and ultimately, LNZ was sent back to Young Ninjas.
Now, NiP seems to be a much stronger unit, even without dev1ce in their active line-up. Ludvig “Brollan” Brolin has been an incredible addition to this roster, and surprisingly enough Patrick “es3tag” Hansen has been doing a solid job as the team’s AWPer. One can’t forget about Nicolas “Plopski” Gonzalez Zamora form either. Plopski had been a constant issue with this roster, but since January he has been improving and he’s in a much better place now. Just like the entire roster.
Overall, when compared with last year’s NiP, this team is finally feeling like a cohesive squad. An intertwined team if you will. Hampus “hampus” Poser, NiP’s leader still has a lot of work ahead of him, sure. NiP ultimately failed against FaZe Clan and Natus Vincere, and it’s clear this team has higher ambitions than third-best or anything before that. Yet, for a team without an AWPer, NiP has done way more than anyone could ask for them, and this squad is the better the organization has fielded in years.
THE DARKEST MAJOR FOR AUSSIES – RENEGADES
After a weak showing at the Asia-Pacific RMR, expectations for the Australians from Renegades were low. They were one of the favorites to be eliminated from the Major winless, and they met those expectations. Yet, their elimination was sad. More than the usual, even. It’s not uncommon, especially nowadays, to see the one team coming from Oceania finishing in last in international events. But this time there’s something different.
During the three matches we saw Renegades playing, the Aussies couldn’t fight. Despite a good-looking CT-side from them in their opening match, the rest of the Major saw Renegades looking lost and uninspiring. All players of the team closed Antwerp with a rating below 0.90, and Jordan “Hatz” Bajic, the worst performing player of the team left Belgium with a 0.70 rating. After the event, Simon “Sico” Williams admitted that the team didn’t practice before the event. Something which didn’t help.
Still, with practice or not, with other players or not, Oceanic Counter-Strike is in a very dire place. As many have mentioned since the return of LAN events, it’s crucial the region finds themselves a squad to spearhead them and rebuild all the work Renegades, Order, Grayhound and other teams achieved before the pandemic. Yet, Australia is still waiting for this team.
For now, though, there’s not much to do. Renegades is going back to the drawing board and their next challenge will be in mid-June when they will head to the ESL Pro League Season 16: Conference. Hopefully we see a better display from the Aussies there, and hopefully the situation for the scene improves over the coming months.
THANKS, MAREA TURBO! – IMPERIAL
It has been less than three months since Imperial first joined the server for their first official match together. The squad built by Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo was supposed to be the one last ride in his career, and since it’s very formation, it has been constantly criticized. Yet, in Antwerp, any critics that were against the existence of this project disappeared. Imperial gave their fans – and even those who don’t follow Brazilian Counter-Strike – a run to cherish.
Imperial didn’t have a single easy match in Antwerp either. They started their run with a tough match against Spirit. The Russian squad took down the Brazilians, which had to face Liquid next. Thankfully for FalleN, Team Liquid wasn’t a match for Fernando “fer” Alvarenga aggression, and Imperial went to the second day of the tournament with a 1 – 1 record. Unfortunately, though, the Kosovan squad from Bad News Eagles bested Imperial then, sending them to the verge of elimination.
Still, Imperial prevailed. They first had to face the ever-dangerous IHC. The Mongolians managed to start their best-of-three series strong, but ultimately failed to close it out. After sending IHC packing, Imperial went to the final day of that stage with high hopes but knowing it wasn’t going to be easy. Surprisingly enough, however, forZe, Imperial’s final opponent in the Challengers Stage, was no match for Imperial at all. The Brazilians demolished forZe and advanced in the Major.
Ultimately, in the Legends Stage we saw Imperial failing to BIG in the opener. Afterwards, we saw the controversial smoke bug being discovered by the community. While it wasn’t first used against Imperial, the bug was impactful in their game against G2. After losing to the Europeans, Imperial was once against with their backs against the wall.
TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL
Imperial run so far was already far beyond most would’ve expected out of them. They might’ve lost to G2, but they gave one of the best teams in the world a run for their money. Not only it, but their win against forZe proved that Imperial still could compete against much younger teams. At the second day of the Legends Stage, though, Imperial would’ve to start doing miracles to not be sent home.
Their first elimination match saw Imperial facing Bad News Eagles once again, this time in a BO3. The match was close, but Imperial won both teams’ picks, and sent the Kosovan force packing. Next, however, it was Cloud9, and despite everything the Brazilians had done to that point, Cloud9 was asking too much. Or at least that was most thought. The CIS powerhouse fought tooth and nails against Imperial and took the series to a third map, but ultimately, FalleN’s Mirage surprised and concluded an unreal upset.
Lastly, Imperial took on Copenhagen Flames on the decider map. Unfortunately for the Brazilians, the Danes crushed them on their own map pick. In the second map of the series, Vertigo, Imperial put a fight finally, but weren’t enough. After two overtimes, Copenhagen Flames won the game, and Imperial finished their dance in Antwerp.
Imperial went beyond every single expectative set for them in this Major, and they deserve the praise they’re getting. This project which sounded like one of the least promising ones from the Brazilian scene at the start of the year is proving out to be the more successful one. The Imperial family has a bright future ahead of them.
OUTCLASSED – G2
Before the Major, there was a clear idea about who were favorites, dark horses, and underdogs. FaZe were favorites with G2 and Natus Vincere closely behind. ENCE and FURIA were left with the dark horse roles. All these five teams performed as expected but one: G2. The Europeans started the tournament well but ultimately crumbled and left a bitter taste in fans’ mouths. The disappointment is completely understandable, though. G2 had some rough showings in the past months, but this was the Major. The Major!
G2 kicked off things right, though. The Kovač cousins along with Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov made quick work of Team Liquid and won their opener. Team Spirit was next, and while the CIS squad punished G2’s weak T-sides, G2 still left the server with the win. In the second day of the Challengers Stage, G2 faced ENCE and while Lotan “Spinx” Giladi’s team took one map from them, G2 won that match. Winning then meant undefeated advancement, with helped boost the team and fans’ confidence going forward.
At the start of the Legends Stage, G2 kept going strong. They lost their opening match against Natus Vincere in overtime and were able to overcome a difficult Imperial next. In the second day, however, things started to change for the worse. G2 was unable to win another match which went to overtime. This time, Heroic was up, and losing that meant G2 was one loss away from elimination.
Still, Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen survived their first test. G2 faced Outsiders and won, albeit some eyebrows were raised when the CIS team was able to steal G2’s map pick, Vertigo. In any case, G2 had gotten their last day ticket, and they were set to face another squad part of the Brazilian Storm. This time, the best one: FURIA.
THE CRUMBLING
G2 started their series against FURIA well enough on their opponent’s map pick, Vertigo. FURIA was able to get seven rounds on the T-side which is impressive, though, and it was clear why the Brazilians picked Vertigo. Ultimately, G2 failed to get more than four rounds in the second-half of that map, and FURIA brought their own map home. Inferno was next, and that was G2 territory, but it didn’t seem like it.
Inferno saw a strong T-side from G2 which is never bad, but ultimately, Aleksib had a rough time on the CT-side. FURIA was able to bring the map to the last round in regulation and the result came down to a one versus one with Audric “JACKZ” Jug defending G2’s side. JACKZ was able to win that situation and ultimately brought Inferno home, taking the series to its decider map.
Finally in Ancient, FURIA and G2 gave all they had in the map. G2 finished the map’s first-half ahead by five rounds, and if they had a decent T-side, they could’ve won it. Unfortunately, though, they didn’t have a T-side at all. Besides winning the second round of the second-half, G2 was unable to do anything against the Brazilians and ultimately, were sent home earlier.
Now, G2 needs to quickly decide what this team wants. Does this roster need more time in the oven, or something must change? Is it worth bringing Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis to the team, or does these players feel like they need more than just additional firepower? More importantly, though: does G2 trusts Aleksib?
AIMING HIGHER THAN EVER – TEAM SPIRIT
After Stockholm, Spirit was in a difficult place. The team benched three players, including its captain Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov as well as their star player Nikolay “mir” Bityukov. While chopper was brought back, the team decided to promote two players from its academy team this year, and not much was expected from Spirit since then. Ahead of the Major start, Spirit was in fact one of the favorites by the community to go out winless.
Against all odds, though, Team Spirit shown they were far from being sent home earlier, the contrary. Leonid’s team started with a win in the Challengers Stage over Imperial and an overtime defeat to G2. In the second day of the competition, Team Spirit stepped up and after a strong showing by Boris “magixx” Vorobyev, won against Eternal Fire. Lastly, Spirit faced Astralis, and the CIS powerhouse didn’t leave any opening for the Danes. Spirit won that BO3 and qualified for the next stage.
In the Legends Stage, Spirit took no time to ruin more Pick’ems. On the opening day of that stage Spirit defeated both FURIA and Heroic. Two heavyweight dark horses in the competition. Now one game away from the playoffs, Spirit was set to face Copenhagen Flames. CPHF managed to win their own map pick but couldn’t keep up with Abdulkhalik “degster” Gasanov and Robert “Patsi” Isyanov.
Having qualified for the Champions Stage, Team Spirit achieved their highest placing in a Major ever. Yet, chopper’s crew wouldn’t be satisfied with just that. In a rematch against FURIA, Team Spirit proved their previous win wasn’t a fluke thanks to a strong performance by Pavel “s1ren” Ogloblin. Ultimately, Spirit fell to FaZe Clan, but this Major run put them back in the map.
DEAD HORSE BEAT – COMPLEXITY & TEAM LIQUID
Hope dies last for fans of North American Counter-Strike as seen in these past couple of months. The region is arguably in a better place than they were by the end of 2021, but far from a comfortable place. Team Liquid and Complexity were the only two teams to qualify from the continent as South American teams took the last spots from the Americas RMR, but there was still hope for both.
Ultimately, Complexity was a complete disaster in this Major and their best result was a win over IHC Esports. Team Liquid, in the other hand, surprised as we mentioned above, but overall, they didn’t do much better either. Nicolas’ team survived the Challengers Stage after finishing the first day of the tournament on the verge of elimination. Liquid sent 9z, their colleagues from Complexity and then Astralis packing while being against the wall.
In the Legends Stage, however, Liquid failed to keep their momentum. They were once more on the verge of elimination after the first day with losses to Heroic and FURIA. Next, they faced Team Vitality and after losing their own map pick, Liquid tried to bounce back but due to a weak T-side on Dust II, they were unable to recover. Team Liquid finished in last place in the Legends Stage, while Complexity finished their Major run with a single win to their name.
It didn’t take long for rumours about what’s next for Team Liquid to surface, though. If these are to be trusted, Richard “shox” Papillon is leaving the team, probably after IEM Dallas 2022. The French player has been the most criticized player in this team, and it’ll be interesting to see which player Liquid will bring to replace him. As for Complexity, the future is unclear.
FINALLY, THEIR MAJOR – FAZE CLAN
Finally, it’s time to congratulate FaZe Clan. The team led by the veteran legend Finn “karrigan” Andersen came to Antwerp knowing this was their Major to lose, and differently than back in 2018, FaZe Clan didn’t let their fans down. FaZe kept proving themselves over the course of the entire tournament and ultimately, in their last game when they faced Natus Vincere, Karrigan and Håvard “rain” Nygaard faced their ghosts when they headed back to Inferno and almost saw Na’Vi stealing that map.
There’s not much else to say about this victory that hasn’t been said yet, though. Karrigan has been playing for years now, so it’s incredible to see him lifting the trophy of his first Major, and the same goes to rain. These two have been investing their careers in European line-ups for years now, and it has finally paid off. It’s a great moment for them and proof that mixed nationalities squads can work on the highest level.
Now, For Robin “ropz” Kool, after honestly wasting last year with MOUZ, it must feel great to be here. Not only because of the Major title, but because this is a team that can finally put his skill to use. As for Helvijs “broky” Saukants and Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken, they have also made history. Along with rain and ropz, they have brought the first Major for their countries, and for Twistzz, specifically, hopefully that somehow helps North America in some way.
Nonetheless, FaZe made history today, and the organization and players are now eternized in Counter-Strike. Whatever happens next, this is the best iteration of FaZe has ever fielded, and they can be proud of what they accomplished. So, congratulations!
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