In the first round of the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025: European Regional Qualifier, we will see a face-off between Astralis and OG. Astralis continue to seek stability in their results and hope to redeem themselves after their last tournament setback. OG, known for their unpredictable style, aim to surprise this time. In this article, we will examine the current form of the teams, their map pool, and attempt to predict the outcome of this match.
Current Form of the Teams
Astralis continue to both delight and frustrate their fans with inconsistent results. In 2025, the team surprised with a bronze at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025, but then faltered at BLAST Open Spring, failing to even make it out of the group stage. The team's average rating over the past month is 5.8.
| Date | Team | Score | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 10 | Astralis | 0 - 2 | Virtus.pro |
| Apr 09 | Astralis | 2 - 1 | Legacy |
| Apr 08 | Astralis | 0 - 2 | Apogee |
| Apr 07 | Astralis | 1 - 2 | 3DMAX |
| Apr 06 | Astralis | 2 - 1 | FaZe |
OG approach the match in an ambiguous form. The team can both defeat top opponents and unexpectedly lose to underdogs. Everything depends on their mindset and the specific game day. In recent weeks, OG have shown quite confident play, as evidenced by their average rating for the month — 6.2.
| Date | Team | Score | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 05 | OG | 2 - 0 | Sashi |
| Mar 29 | OG | 2 - 1 | Fire Flux |
| Mar 28 | OG | 1 - 2 | BetBoom |
| Mar 27 | OG | 0 - 2 | ECLOT |
| Mar 27 | OG | 1 - 2 | Monte |
Map Pool
Astralis almost always bans Anubis first — 26 consecutive bans speak for themselves. The likely pick for the Danes will be Inferno, where the team feels quite confident (60% win rate in 20 games). An alternative option is Nuke (56% win rate).
OG consistently bans Train — this map has been removed by them 31 times in a row and does not appear in their map pool at all. As their pick, they will most likely choose Ancient, where their win rate is an impressive 71% in 51 played maps. OG might also consider Nuke (68% wins), but will likely leave it in case Astralis themselves leave the map open.
| Map | Astralis Winrate | M | B | Last 5 Maps (Astralis) | OG Winrate | M | B | Last 5 Maps (OG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anubis | 0% | 0 | 32 | FB, FB, FB, FB, FB | 61% | 23 | 9 | W, W, L, L, W |
| Train | 50% | 6 | 7 | W, L, W, L, W | 53% | 15 | 25 | L, W, L, L, W |
| Mirage | 33% | 15 | 11 | L, L, W, W, L | 44% | 18 | 13 | L, L, W, L, W |
| Dust II | 25% | 12 | 9 | L, L, W, L, W | 68% | 5 | 1 | W, L, W, W, L |
| Inferno | 61% | 10 | 13 | W, W, W, L, W | 57% | 21 | 1 | L, W, L, L, W |
| Nuke | 65% | 17 | 5 | W, L, W, W, L | 71% | 51 | 0 | W, L, L, W, L |
| Ancient | 6% | 15 | 7 | L, L, W, L, L | 60% | 19 | 7 | L, L, W, W, W |
Match Prediction
The match promises to be very close and tense. It will be critically important for Astralis to secure their pick, Inferno, given OG's weak statistics on this map. However, they will then face a very challenging Ancient, where OG are traditionally strong.
Much in this encounter will be decided by the map choices, but in the context of Mirage or Dust II, the teams' chances are equalized. In a BO1 match, OG might have more chances.
Prediction: Victory for OG
The BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025: European Regional Qualifier takes place from April 14 to 17. The entire tournament is held online. Participants compete for six slots in the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025. You can follow the results and progress of the tournament via this link.
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