The 2023 CS:GO season is about to begin with BLAST Premier Spring groups, taking place in Copenhagen from January 19 to January 29.
BLAST Premier Spring Groups match schedule
It's the first CS:GO tournament of the year, kicking off the 2023 season in style as 12 teams compete for their share of the $177,498 prize pool. The top six teams receiving an invitation to the Spring Final, taking place from June 7-11. The remaining teams meanwhile will advance to the EU and American Spring Showdowns.
| Group A | Group B | Group C |
|---|---|---|
| Heroic | FaZe Clan | G2 |
| Astralis | OG | Natus Vincere |
| Team Vitality | Team Liquid | Ninjas in Pyjamas |
| Evil Geniuses | Complexity Gaming | BIG |
The 12 teams have been separated into three groups, seen above. Group A has the honour of opening up the tournament, with two matches scheduled for January 19.
The first match of the tournament takes place at 2:00PM GMT, and will see BLAST Fall Finals champions Heroic going up against Evil Geniuses.
Heroic ended 2022 on a bit of a mixed note. They thrilled fans with a fantastic performance at the BLAST Fall Finals, beating the FaZe Clan in a 2-1 win at an incredible grand final. That success was short-lived however, as they immediately followed that up with a disappointing 7th - 8th placement at the BLAST World Final. Still, this is the same roster that also came in second place back at the IEM Rio Major, so they're certainly not a team to be overlooked.
Meanwhile, Evil Geniuses' recent track record is hardly as impressive. The team has had a tough couple of years, with very little in recent history to brag about. As such, the organisation has been refreshing its roster in the hopes of turning things around. Most recently, Evil Geniuses promoted EG Black player Jerric "wiz" Jiang to the main team, who will be making his debut with his new teammates at this week's tournament.
Even with a new roster, Evil Geniuses have their work cut out for them here. Heroic are heavily favoured to win, with odds of 1.05 vs 7.50. Barring a remarkable upset, things are looking good for Heroic in their 2023 debut.
The second and final match of the day will see Team Vitality going up against Astralis, in a match due to begin at 5:30PM GMT.
Team Vitality (1.58) vs Astralis (2.20)
Team Vitality are coming into the first tournament of the year following a promising 2022. They started off last year strong, coming in 1st-3rd place at the last Spring Groups, a success they're surely keen to repeat. The team has had some setbacks, including a 9th - 12th placement at IEM Katowice, and 12th - 14th at the IEM Rio Major. Still, there's plenty to brag about too - Team Vitality were the champions of ESL Pro League Season 16, and came in second place at last year's BLAST Premier Spring Finals.
While Astralis' record last year wasn't quite as impressive, fans are no doubt eager to see them in action soon - Given the recent return of superstar player Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz, who is finally playing professionally again after taking time away to take care of his mental health. Astralis are no doubt hoping that dev1ce will be able to bring back their former glory days, and will be keen to see him competing in tournaments again after he re-joined the team in October last year.
Even with dev1ce back in action, the odds are in Team Vitality's favour here - though only slightly, at odds of 1.58 vs Astralis' 2.20. There's much more room for an upset here than in Heroic vs Evil Geniuses however, so we could well see Astralis back at their best soon.
Whoever you're supporting for the Spring Groups, you can follow along with the action right here on Luckbox. Just remember to sign up for your free account, and we'll see you at CS:GO's first tournament of the year!
