Top 5 moments - BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023

The Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) world was ablaze with excitement as the highly anticipated BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 unfolded in a dazzling display of talent, strategy, and nail-biting competition. From intense firefights to jaw-dropping plays, the tournament showcased the very best and here's our list of the best moments from the final CS:GO Major. Before diving into the top five, here are a few honorable mentions that narrowly missed the cut:

• Apeks' 16-0 against GRAYHOUND

Apeks joined an elite club, as they pulled off a 16-0 against GRAYHOUND, making this the third 16-0 in Major history and making Apeks only the 2nd team to ever do it in a Major, with the other team being Astralis, cleaning out Cloud9 and MIBR. Apeks came into the Major as underdogs and made it all the way to the playoffs, taking down the likes of Liquid, Bad News Eagles and Ninjas in Pyjamas.

• jks triple-180s against fnatic

With their backs against the wall and staring at elimination, G2 were desperate for a good start on the T side of Ancient after conceding a 9-6 first half against fnatic. That was when the man from down under, jks stepped up with a quad kill, three of those were 180s on the A-site of Ancient, displaying raw mechanical skills. Unfortunately G2 however went on to lose the map and the series but take nothing away from the pure genius displayed by jks.

• Ninjas in Pyjamas fumble a solid lead, exit from the Major

It was Ninjas in Pyjamas (NiP) vs Apeks for the last spot in the playoffs. Apeks, coming in as a fairly new name to the pro scene, had proven themselves in the Challengers Stage. After conceding the 1st map despite a 12-8 lead, NiP headed into the 2nd map looking to turn things around as they put up a dominant 12-3 half and were quick to make it to 14. NiP choked a massive lead, as Apeks dug themselves out of the grave, taking the series into overtime, where jL dropped an incredible triple kill to secure the match and the series for Apeks, sending NiP home, inflicting a devastating loss. One of the most iconic organisations left the final CS:GO Major in one of the worst ways possible.

• broky holds his ground in lobby against Heroic

It was the quarter-finals and FaZe went up against Heroic, a match that could've easily gone either ways. Heroic were running away with FaZe's map pick of Nuke and were up 14-6. With the economy on the line for both teams, whoever won this round would bankrupt the other. Heroic tried to rush lobby with 4 players, as broky stood tall and displayed brilliant close combat AWPing, taking down the rush all by himself. The series ended with Heroic emerging on top, ending the CS:GO journey for some of the most iconic names such as karrigan, rain and Twistzz.

• NiKo ends his CS:GO campaign without a Major to his name

In a high-stakes battle between G2 and fnatic, the spotlight was on NiKo, renowned as one of the finest aimers in CS:GO history. With everything at stake and his last shot at claiming a Major title, NiKo, alongside huNter and jks, gave it their all. Despite their relentless efforts, G2 fell short, leaving NiKo's CS:GO journey without a coveted Major championship. The legend's story concludes with a bittersweet ending, showcasing his mechanical brilliance but leaving the ultimate prize just out of reach.

With that out of the way, lets head right into the top 5 moments BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023, the last CS:GO Major had to offer:

ㅤ#5. ㅤFaZe pull off the unthinkable against Navi

In a do-or-die clash for a playoff spot, two CS:GO titans engaged in a star-studded battle. With map picks exchanged, the series reached a climactic moment on the newly introduced map, Anubis. The stakes were immeasurable as the fate of legendary CS:GO figures hung in the balance. Navi seemed poised for the playoffs, leading 15-9 on the deciding map, but FaZe unleashed an astonishing comeback.

Led by karrigan's masterful CT-side calls and standout performances from broky and Twistzz, they forced the series into double overtime. Navi's hopes relied on s1mple's 1v2 clutch, but even the brilliance of one of the game's greatest players couldn't secure victory. With a heavy heart, s1mple exited the last CS:GO Major before the playoffs.

ㅤ#4. ㅤMonte upset Navi to put up a poetic win

In a Major filled with upsets, this one was probably the most poetic one as Monte delivered a stunning 2-0 sweep against Navi, securing their place in the playoffs in their debut appearance. The victory carried personal significance for Monte's in-game leader sdy, who was removed from Navi last year, after the org decided that he was "not good enough" and now sdy while calling the match, fragged out for Monte, putting Navi one step closer to elimination.

Woro2k fulfilled his promise to dismantle s1mple, following their recent exchange about the latter's attitude on Twitter and DemQQ found vindication against B1ad3, the coach who had previously accused him of cheating. The triumph was a testament to resilience and personal triumph in the face of adversity. Monte's run came to an end in the quarter-finals, after a 2-0 loss to GamerLegion.

ㅤ#3. ㅤInto the Breach's Cinderella run

Defying all odds, Into the Breach (ITB), the sole representative of UK CS, entered the tournament as massive underdogs. With most of the community predicting a 0-3 exit for the British team, ITB proved everyone wrong by staging remarkable performances that captured the hearts of many. Facing formidable opponents like ENCE, who came off of a fiery 3-0 from the Challengers Stage and FaZe, who boasted a world-class line-up with legendary names, they emerged triumphant, securing a spot in the playoffs.

Although they fought valiantly, their journey came to an end at the hands of the home team Vitality, the eventual champions. CRUC1AL's AWP and CYPHER's mechanical prowess fortified the team and made the world take notice of the British team.

ㅤ#2. ㅤGamerLegion defy all odds in the semi-finals, end cadiaN's quest for a Major title

Another massive underdog team coming into the Legends stage, GamerLegion were the just behind ITB, with many people picking them also for a 0-3 exit. The world was queuing up for a cadiaN vs ZywOo showdown in the finals, to see who would get their hands on a maiden Major title. The semi-final match even started out with Heroic looking strong and on their way to the finals, but thanks to iM's stellar showing and siuhy's strong calling, GamerLegion made sure it wasn't the end of their story yet.

GamerLegion did what ENCE did in Katowice 2019, coming in as underdogs and squaring up against strongest opponents. acoR's AWP clicked, siuhy read Heroic like a book and iM just wouldn't miss as GamerLegion went ahead to hand down a massive 2-1 upset to Heroic, crashing them out of the Major title contention. GamerLegion booked their first ever Major Grand Finals spot, but would eventually concede the finals at the hands of a well oiled Vitality. cadiaN could not finish his redemption arc and the Accor Arena bid him a tearful farewell.

ㅤ#1. ㅤZywOo lifts his 1st Major trophy, dupreeh closes CS:GO with the highest at 5

The Accor Arena witnessed magic, history as ZywOo lifted his maiden Major. The poetic beauty of it lied where ZywOo closed out CS:GO's last Major with his AWP shot on Nuke. apEX, who was doubted time and again, finally came through with his second Major, dupreeh became the most decorated players in CS:GO, securing his 5th Major title, the most in the history of the game. Magisk secured his 4th Major title and Spinx became the first ever Middle Eastern player to get his hands on a Major trophy.

The dominance asserted by Vitality was insane, as they did not drop a single map throughout the Major. ZywOo having topped multiple tables in the stats section, secured the tournament MVP, who was closely followed by GamerLegion's star fragger iM. From shying away from talking to Freya in English, at the showmatch in FACEIT London Major 2018 to confidently giving an interview as the Major MVP, ZywOo's story has been nothing but phenomenal and cinematic. The Major meant everything for Vitality and doing it in front of a home crowd, was everything they could've asked for.

Finally, with the emotional roller coaster in the form of BLAST Paris Major 2023, the last CS:GO Major has come to an end and the community have gone back to their routine of waiting for the next big CS2 announcement or change, at the cost of a good night's sleep.