After a successful conclusion to 2024, crowned with a victory at Elisa Masters Espoo, the team ENCE, led by the legendary captain gla1ve, is preparing for the new season. They are set to participate in BLAST Bounty, where every decision, starting with the choice of opponents, could be crucial for success.

Changes in the rosters of ENCE and other teams, along with the unique BLAST Bounty tournament format, create intrigue. There is particular interest in the dynamics of the new team, capable of surprising opponents despite last year's challenges.

New Roster and Successes of ENCE

2024 was not easy for ENCE, yet the final victory at the home tournament in Finland became the starting point for their reboot. The team, strengthened by sdy and young talents, is actively preparing for new challenges. 

Preparation for BLAST Bounty

The BLAST Bounty tournament will be the first serious test for ENCE in the new season. The format's feature is the possibility to choose opponents, adding strategic depth. However, ENCE found themselves in a difficult position: being the ninth team in line, they are likely to get a strong opponent from the top eight.

I don't think we'll have much of a choice, to be honest. We're the ninth team to pick, so we'll probably be left with the top eight teams to pick from.

noted gla1ve in an interview for BLAST

The Role of the Captain and Young Players

One of the key factors in ENCE's success is working with young talents. Gla1ve emphasized the importance of adapting the play style to each of them:

The most important thing is that they know what they're going to do before the game, and that they feel comfortable within it. If there's something they don't feel comfortable with then we need to talk about it and change things around.

gla1ve

Moreover, the captain noted changes in his role:

It's tough to say, my roles have definitely changed a bit, and I don't think I am as good individually as I was in Astralis, but I still see glimpses of it sometimes. It's all about finding consistency and delivering it most of the time, but right now it's 50/50 and we need to get that percentage up a bit.

gla1ve

ENCE aims to start the season with a strong performance to strengthen their position in the rankings and earn the necessary points for further invitations. Success at BLAST Bounty will be an important step for the team in the fight for high achievements in 2025.

Source: BLAST