In the first round of the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025: European Regional Qualifier, an intriguing matchup awaits between BC.Game and Fnatic. For BC.Game, this will be their first major qualifier, while Fnatic has a chance to return to the top ranks. In this article, we'll analyze the current form of the teams, their map pool, and make a prediction for this match.
Current Form of the Teams
BC.Game has hardly appeared on the official scene in recent weeks. The team played only 4 games in the A1 Gaming League Season 10, finishing in 9-16th place and exiting the tournament early. Most likely, the team devoted this time to training to prepare for such an important qualifier. The team's average rating over the last 3 months is 6.2.
| Date | Team | Score | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 12 | BC.Game | 1 - 2 | BetBoom |
| Mar 29 | BC.Game | 2 - 1 | RUSH B |
| Mar 22 | BC.Game | 1 - 2 | ECSTATIC |
| Mar 14 | BC.Game | 2 - 0 | Aurora |
| Mar 11 | BC.Game | 2 - 0 | Fnatic |
Fnatic, on the other hand, has been actively playing on the official scene and showing steady progress. After signing Jambo, the team has noticeably improved. Fnatic secured 2nd place at CCT Season 2 Europe Series 19 and reached 5-8th place in the PGL Astana 2025 qualifiers, losing only to the eventual tournament winners — NIP. The average rating over the last 3 months is 6.1.
| Date | Team | Score | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 30 | Fnatic | 0 - 2 | Ninjas in Pyjamas |
| Mar 29 | Fnatic | 2 - 0 | Ninjas in Pyjamas |
| Mar 28 | Fnatic | 2 - 0 | Fire Flux |
| Mar 28 | Fnatic | 1 - 2 | Aurora |
| Mar 27 | Fnatic | 1 - 2 | AMKAL |
Map Pool
BC.Game almost always bans Nuke — the map has been removed 40 times in a row and is completely absent from their map pool. They most often pick Ancient (67 games, 60% win rate) or Dust II (42 games, 69% win rate). They can also play Train (63%) or Anubis (55%), but Inferno (52%) and Nuke (55%) are considered their weakest maps.
In contrast, Fnatic almost always bans Dust II first, having removed it in 30 consecutive matches and not playing it at all. Their main pick is usually Train — their strongest map with a 71% win rate over 14 games. They also perform well on Anubis (57% win rate) and Nuke (55%). Inferno (53%) and Mirage (52%) are more often used as utility options. However, Ancient is clearly the team's weakest map with a win rate of only 47% over 32 played maps.
| Map | BC.Game Winrate | M | B | Last 5 Maps (BC.Game) | Fnatic Winrate | M | B | Last 5 Maps (Fnatic) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dust II | 29% | 42 | 4 | W, W, L, W, L | 40% | 5 | 30 | L, L, W, W, L |
| Nuke | 29% | 14 | 40 | W, L, W, L, L | 55% | 20 | 11 | W, L, L, W, W |
| Ancient | 60% | 67 | 6 | L, W, W, L, W | 47% | 32 | 14 | W, W, L, W, L |
| Mirage | 61% | 8 | 9 | W, L, L, W, W | 52% | 25 | 12 | L, L, W, L, W |
| Train | 63% | 8 | 4 | L, W, L, L, W | 57% | 7 | 21 | L, L, W, W, L |
| Anubis | 55% | 47 | 9 | L, L, L, W, W | 53% | 19 | 5 | L, W, L, L, L |
| Inferno | 52% | 23 | 15 | W, L, W, L, L | 47% | 17 | 19 | W, W, W, L, W |
Past Encounters
The last meeting between Fnatic and BC.Game took place recently — on March 11, 2025, in the grand final of CCT Season 2 Europe Series 19. BC.Game confidently defeated their opponent with a score of 2:0. They took their pick Train (13:7) and then won Mirage without much trouble (13:6).
Prior to that, the teams met on February 26, 2025, in the same tournament. That match ended with a score of 2:1 in favor of Fnatic. BC.Game took their pick Ancient (13:5), but lost on the other maps: Train (10:13) and Mirage (4:13).
Match Prediction
BC.Game approaches the match fresh, focusing on preparation, but the lack of official practice in recent weeks could work against them. Fnatic, however, is in shape and showing consistent results in tournaments.
The key factor will be the choice of maps. Ancient is BC.Game's strong suit, while Train is a serious argument from Fnatic. Considering past encounters, a tough battle can be expected, but Fnatic's more balanced form and stable map pool give them a slight edge. However, the match will be in BO1, so a bit of luck will be necessary.
Prediction: Fnatic Victory
The BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025: European Regional Qualifier takes place from April 14 to 17. The entire tournament is conducted online. Participants compete for six slots at the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025. You can follow the results and progress of the tournament via this link.
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