Mid-December has prepared for fans of spectacular CS2 the last Tier-1 championship of this year before the winter break. BLAST Premier: World Final 2023 kicks off on December 13, and in the opening matches of Group B, FaZe and Heroic will compete. Bo3.gg will provide an analysis of this clash between the European teams.

Team Form

FaZe's results in recent tournaments speak for themselves – the team won 3 out of 4 prestigious championships, despite the players being aware of Twistzz's departure to Liquid after BLAST Premier: Fall Final 2023. The newcomer, frozen, is a professional of the same caliber as the Canadian, and working with karrigan and ropz is nothing new to him, so there is every reason to believe that the replacement will go smoothly.

Heroic, on the other hand, are in a somewhat enviable position. In the last three months, three players have left the roster (two of them scandalously), including captain cadiaN. Moreover, this tournament could be the last for dupreeh, as he initially moved to the Danish organization until the end of 2023. Such discord may force him not to sign a new contract unless a miracle happens and Heroic, with stand-ins Zyphon and salazar, at least reach the final. Honestly, believing in such a scenario is difficult.

Map Pool

Looking at the map pool, everything also suggests a very likely victory for FaZe. In the current situation, Heroic may not have a "reliable" map at all. This creates a lot of space for karrigan and his teammates to maneuver and experiment, especially considering that the match will be in a bo3 format. The only glimmer of hope for the Danes is Overpass – traditionally a problematic map for FaZe.

Conclusions

FaZe would have to make a ton of mistakes or completely fail in internal communication to lose to the current Heroic. If we were talking about the Danish five from April-July this year, the opposite outcome could be entirely possible. Unfortunately, the current roster does not compare to what was once one of the strongest teams in the world, making them the main contender for elimination from the group.

BLAST Premier: World Final 2023 will take place from December 13 to 17 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The teams will compete for a prize pool of one million dollars. For news, schedules, and results of the tournament, follow the link.

Header image: Twitter @FaZeEsports