Everything you need to know about the upcoming esports Major in Austin – in our 1xBet review.

The BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 will be the 22nd Major in Counter-Strike history but only the third one played in CS2. Astralis is the leader in terms of the number of titles, having won four Major tournaments. Fnatic has claimed three victories, while NAVI has lifted the trophy twice, though in both game versions – CS:GO and CS2. The last five Majors were all won by different teams: FaZe (2022), Outsiders (2022), Vitality (2023), NAVI (2024), and Spirit (2024).

How the qualification went

Starting in 2025, Valve increased the number of Major participants from 24 to 32 teams, prompting a new qualification system.

The top 16 teams in the global Valve regional rankings received direct invites – half of them advanced straight to the elite Stage 3, while the other eight were placed in Stage 2.

Stage 3

• Team Vitality, MOUZ, Team Spirit, Aurora, NAVI, G2 – Europe
• Team Liquid – America
• The MongolZ – Asia

Stage 2 

• Team Falcons, FaZe Clan, 3DMAX, Virtus.pro – Europe

• paiN Gaming, FURIA, MIBR, M80 – America

Another 16 slots for Stage 1 were awarded in the Major Regional Qualifiers (MRQ).

Stage 1

• OG, HEROIC, Metizport, Nemiga, BetBoom, B8 – Europe
• Complexity, Imperial, Wildcard, Fluxo, NRG, Legacy – America
• TYLOO, FlyQuest, Chinggis Warriors – Asia

Five teams will represent the Asia-Pacific region, which should delight esports fans from the Philippines. It is also worth noting that the international brand 1xBet is a partner of two elite teams from the Top 8 Major: Aurora and The MongolZ. With partnerships at this level, the question “Is 1xBet a legit website?” becomes irrelevant.

Format and prize pool of the tournament

The BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 will take place from June 3 to June 22, 2025. The competition features three Swiss-format group stages, with the top eight teams from each stage advancing to the next round.

The remaining teams will then face top-tier competition in Stage 2, including the likes of Team Falcons, FaZe Clan, and other giants. The remaining squads will have to compete against Team Falcons, FaZe Clan, and other top-tier teams to advance to the next stage. The true elite, however, will enter the battlefield in Stage 3, starting on June 12.

The Major playoffs will follow a classic single-elimination format with no second chances and will conclude with a grand final. There will be no third-place match. The winner of the Major will receive a substantial $500,000, the runner-up will get $170,000, teams placing 3rd–4th will earn $80,000 each, those in 5th–8th place will receive $45,000 each, and teams finishing 9th–16th will take home $20,000 each.

Top favorites to win

It is clear that the eight top teams have the highest chances of winning the Major: Team Vitality, MOUZ, Team Spirit, Aurora, NAVI, G2, Team Liquid, and The MongolZ.

However, there are a few things to keep in mind. G2 lost all chances of winning the tournament after “NiKo” and “m0NESY” transferred to Falcons. So, Falcons, in turn, strengthened their squad and came into the Major in excellent form, making them serious contenders for the title. FaZe Clan arguably deserves Team Liquid’s spot among the favorites, as they are led by the experienced captain “karrigan” and have the legendary “s1mple” as their trump card.

Therefore, the main favorites of BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 are Vitality, Falcons, and Spirit. Under the right circumstances, The MongolZ, MOUZ, NAVI, Aurora, and FaZe Clan could also reach the finals. The full picture will become clear on June 19, when the playoff stage begins, revealing not only the top eight finalists but also each team’s playing form.

The international brand 1xBet is already accepting bets on the winners of BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, so you have a good chance to profit with the maximum odds before the tournament starts. And if you suddenly encounter 1xBet deposit problems or any other issues during the process, customer support will help you resolve them as quickly as possible.