Rising stars from BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023
Blast Paris Major 2023, CS:GO's last ever Major was everything but predictable as teams went on to put up massive upsets, uprooting many of the tournament's favorites and well known teams. Here's a look at the top emerging players from the Blast Paris 2023 Major, who could well receive a tier 1 call-up very soon.
iM from GamerLegion is the first and most obvious pick for this list, thanks to his absolutely stellar performances and his significant hand in GamerLegion making it to the Grand Finals. iM displayed fantastic mechanical ability in the Major with his raw aim winning duels that were near impossible to win. GamerLegion will have a hard time holding on to iM after the Major, because he looks like another NiKo in the making in terms of aim and game. iM was very close to winning the tournament MVP award with a HLTV rating of 1.35 in the Major but was edged out by just 0.04 points.
iM had the highest opening kills throughout the tournament at 49 and the best impact rating with 1.53. He also topped the table for the highest damage given per round at an astonishing 95.2. iM topped the scoreboard for GamerLegion in almost every match in the tournament, as he casually kept destroying tier 1 teams, with his best performance coming against Heroic in the semi-finals, where he racked up 73 frags at a HLTV rating of 1.40.
Monte's high voltage fragger BOROS turned up in a big way, propelling Monte to the playoffs and in the process taking down big names like Natus Vincere. BOROS displayed tactically calculated aggression throughout the tournament on both sides and it reflects in the stats as well, with BOROS holding the highest opening kills per round in the tournament at 0.20. He had an impact rating of 1.42, the 3rd best in the tournament and is tied up juanflatroo for headshots per round at 0.48.
BOROS will certainly be a highly sought-after rifler thanks to his aggressive playstyle, single handedly opening up sites on the T-side and disrupting the opponents' pace on the CT-side.
Into the Breach came in as massive underdogs and went all the way to the playoffs, but ultimately fell short in the quarter-finals. CRUC1AL's AWP played big role in the team's success. His unwavering stability became the backbone of the team, enabling his fellow teammates to play with freedom and shutting down opponents completely. Any team that has questionable personnel in the AWP department will look at CRUC1AL.
His most notable performance came against fnatic, where he popped off with 58 frags across the series. CRUC1AL may not be the flashiest AWPer but he damn well hits his shots when it matters.
FORZE, a team that experienced a disappointing Major outing, is facing a bittersweet situation due to zorte's outstanding performance with the AWP during the challengers stage. zorte consistently dominated the scoreboard with his exceptional mechanical abilities, making him a valuable asset for FORZE. His peak performance in the Major came against Liquid where he went head to head with big names and emerged on top with 31 frags.
However, the team now faces the challenge of retaining zorte, as his remarkable performance has garnered attention from tier 1 teams in need of a skilled AWPer. With zorte boasting the highest success percentage in clutch rounds and an impressive KD-difference of +63 in the challengers stage, his departure would undoubtedly add salt to the wound for FORZE.
The brain behind the brawns of GamerLegion, siuhy is set to become a highly sought-after IGL after orchestrating one of the most remarkable Major runs in CS:GO history. siuhy's strategic brilliance came to the fore as he effectively utilized the talents of iM, acoR, and isak, propelling GamerLegion to the finals from the brink of elimination.
siuhy's calling outwitted some of the most astute in-game leaders in the CS:GO scene, most notably evident in his outing against Heroic, led by one of the most charismatic IGLs in CS:GO, cadiaN during the semi-finals. By comprehending and countering their every move, he halted a seemingly unstoppable Heroic side, accomplishing the seemingly impossible and eliminating one of the tournament favorites.
kyxsan, the in-game leader whose strategic prowess proved to be exceptional for Apeks in the Major, outwitted Liquid not just once, but twice! It was kyxsan's masterful mid to late round calling that propelled Apeks to surpass their competition in both the challengers and legends stages. Teams often appeared bewildered and lost when faced with kyxsan's way of operating, thanks to which, Apeks went as far as the semi-finals, where they would fall to a ruthless Vitality.
Apeks, under kyxsan's captaincy, achieved victory over Liquid in the Challengers stage and repeated the feat against a formidable and confident Liquid lineup that had dominated with a flawless 3-0 in the Legends Stage. kyxsan's calling and ability to adapt on the fly showcased his talent for intelligent decision-making and effective counter-strategies. What made it even more impressive was the fact that this was kyxsan's first ever high profile LAN event, let alone Major! Only time can tell how big he can grow with experience.
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