Spirit Wins BLAST Bounty Finals to Start 2025 Strong
The new year has started with a bang for Team Spirit, as the squad claimed the BLAST Bounty Season 1 Finals trophy in Copenhagen with a commanding 3-1 victory over Eternal Fire. Coming off their triumph at the Shanghai Major, Spirit has set the tone for 2025 with another tier-one tournament win, despite missing their head coach, Sergey “hally” Shavaev.
A Tough Journey to the Title
The road to victory wasn’t without its challenges. Spirit showcased resilience throughout the tournament, including an overtime battle on Ancient against Natus Vincere and a surprising collapse on Anubis in the grand final. Despite these hiccups, the team rallied back with dominant performances on Nuke (13-6), Dust2 (13-3), and Mirage (13-8).
Danil “donk” Kryshkovets, the 18-year-old sensation, played a pivotal role, earning his seventh career MVP award and second in a row after the Shanghai Major. His tournament-high 1.43 rating and consistent impact across the event solidified his status as one of the best players in the game. Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov also delivered a standout performance, leading the charge with a stellar 1.53 rating in the final.
Eternal Fire’s Promising Start Falls Short
Eternal Fire began the final with a spirited comeback on Anubis, overturning a 12-4 deficit to win in overtime. However, their momentum quickly fizzled out as Spirit’s defense and aggressive play proved insurmountable. The Turkish squad struggled in the first halves of the remaining maps, falling behind 3-9, 2-10, and 1-11, unable to recover despite flashes of brilliance from players like Özgür “woxic” Eker.
Looking Ahead
With back-to-back tier-one trophies and standout performances from young stars like donk, Spirit has established themselves as a dominant force heading into 2025. Eternal Fire, on the other hand, has shown promise despite the defeat, with their runner-up finish serving as a testament to their hard work during the off-season.
As the competitive season unfolds, all eyes will be on these teams to see if Spirit can maintain their momentum and if Eternal Fire can build on their strong start to the year.