The BLAST.tv Austin Major is one of the most highly anticipated Counter-Strike 2 tournaments of the year, bringing Valve’s ever-popular competitive tactical shooter back to the States.
There hasn’t been a BLAST CS2 Major in the United States in years, and the BLAST team believes that the massive Austin event will awaken American fans in a big way.
“Back in the late 90s and early 2000s, people that worked in [the esports] business were the brunt of some jokes and chuckles over cocktails,” Complexity CEO and Founder Jason Lake said in a press conference.
“There were times when we were playing Counter-Strike in hotel ballrooms with those old 50-pound monitors. People were doing this for free — and even losing money because they believed in the future of a digital sport. Now, here we stand in Moody Center to announce the BLAST.tv Austin Major.”
With the BLAST.tv Austin Major taking up the majority of the month of June, this is a massive and meaningful CS2 Major that is sure to bring out the best in teams from every region. However, we believe some teams will stand out over the rest.
Team Vitality
Team Vitality is currently the number one-ranked team in the Valve Regional Standings. In fact, the team has been there quite some time, thanks to its insanely consistent performance in 2025 thus far. Team Vitality has won IEM Masters Melbourne and BLAST Rivals Spring 2025 most recently, continuing a 25-match win streak. The only longer stream belongs to Ninjas in Pyjamas with 60 wins back in 2013.
The Austin Major will be Team Vitality’s chance to add its first Counter-Strike 2-era Major victory. The team placed eighth at the last Major, 2024 Shanghai Perfect World Major, but the team has been running insanely hot ever since.
FaZe Clan
FaZe Clan is a Top 10 team, currently eighth in the VRS. It’s high but not that high — but there is most definitely potential, especially now that FaZe has signed iconic AWPer Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev on a loan from Natus Vincere ahead of the Austin Major. This makes FaZe Clan’s roster insanely strong, including Finn “karrigan” Andersen and s1mple’s former teammate Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski, who he competed with back in 2016.
FaZe Clan hasn’t been showing its best this season, but this roster shakeup ahead of the Major makes them worth watching. It will be exciting for sportsbooks either way, with fans rooting for s1mple to give FaZe the boost it needs.
MOUZ
The team in second place on Valve’s Regional Standings, MOUZ, is looking to finally dethrone Team Vitality, and the Austin Major could be the team’s chance. In 2025, MOUZ has been consistently right there but not quite getting the W’s they need to become the top team. Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 and PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025 saw first place finishes for MOUZ, but the last three tournaments — IEM Masters Melbourne, ESL Grand Slam Season 5, and BLAST Rivals Spring 2025, were 3-4th place finishes.
MOUZ has it in them to take first at the Austin Major, so keep an eye on them.
Team Falcons
Currently third on the VRS, Team Falcons is another team with consistent results that will give fans confidence throughout the Austin Major. The European squad took first at PGL Bucharest 2025, then second at IEM Masters Melbourne and BLAST Rivals Spring 2025, showing the team is able to take on the best-of-the-best — and win.
Team Falcons also placed sixth at the recent ESL Grand Slam Season 5. So far, this season hasn’t maintained the same performance at every tournament, making the Austin Major less certain. Nonetheless, with the recent signings of absolute powerduo and fan-favourites NiKo and m0NESY, this will make them an exciting team to root for on sportsbooks, with these quasi-underdogs able to come out on top during some unexpected matchups.
Team Spirit
This is a team you don’t want to find yourself up against because they are always right there, hungry for a win. After a first-place finish at BLAST Bounty Spring 2025, Team Spirit has consistently been getting 3rd-4th place finishes at S-Tier events as well as a second place at IEM Masters Katowice 2025.
Team Spirit hasn’t made any roster changes since 2024, so these are players who have spent a lot of practice and competition time together.
G2 Esports
Coming in at fifth in the VRS behind Team Spirit, G2 Esports has been having a frustrating 2025. Fans know G2 has it in them after the team won BLAST Premier: Fall Final and BLAST Premier: World Final in 2024. However, G2 has been landing in 3-4th and 5-6th for the majority of big tournaments in 2025, getting eliminated by MOUZ, FaZe Clan, and Team Spirit.
Will the Austin Major be the team’s chance for redemption? Will they get revenge? These storylines will keep fans hooked throughout the tournament.
Q&A: How Sportsbooks Can Maximise Engagement During the BLAST.tv Austin Major
Q1: What betting features should sportsbooks implement during the Austin Major to boost engagement?
Live betting is key for a tournament of this scale. Offering dynamic, in-play markets like map winner, round handicaps, and kill totals can keep bettors engaged throughout each match. Enhancing these with live stats widgets and embedded streams can further elevate the experience.
Q2: How can sportsbooks attract casual fans during the Major?
Story-driven promotions work wonders. Highlight player rivalries, underdog stories, or s1mple’s comeback with FaZe Clan in your marketing. Create beginner-friendly content and explainers on how CS2 betting works to lower the barrier for new users.
Q3: What kind of content should sportsbooks prioritise to stay relevant during the event?
Regular blog posts, betting previews, and social media updates tied to matchups and roster developments can drive SEO and user engagement. Leverage notable narratives—such as Team Vitality’s win streak or G2’s quest for redemption—to keep fans coming back between matches.
Pro tip: Check on Liquipedia for the origins of players or teams and promote the ones relevant to your audience. Metizport is the only team with an all-Swedish roster, for example, so Swedish sportsbooks should pay extra attention to the team in their marketing.
