It's day two of the BLAST Premier World Final, and one team has already been sent home, after Outsiders lost to G2 in the Group A Elimination Match. The carnage isn't over yet though, with one team from Group B due to be eliminated later today.
And in a surprise twist, it's Heroic and Ukrainian team Natus Vincere (NAVI) who are fighting for survival today. Against the odds, OG and Team Vitality were able to beat Heroic and NAVI, respectively, leaving two of the tournament's most promising teams at risk of elimination.
Both teams were expected to win their first matches of the World Final, and it would have been hard to predict that they'd be facing each other in an Elimination Match so soon in the tournament.
But their match, beginning at 12:00 PM GMT today, will send one of these teams on an early flight home - While the winner will hang on and head into tomorrow's quater finals.
It's a dramatic start to what's looking to be a fantastic World Final - and you'll definitely not want to miss Group B's Elimination Match today. Make sure you've signed up for your free account before Heroic and NAVI go head-to-head in a fight for survival!
BLAST Premier World Final 2022: Heroic vs Natus Vincere predictions
Heroic (2.05) vs Natus Vincere (1.68)
Few expected either of these talented teams to be facing elimination so soon - nevermind both of them. Heroic were coming into this year's World Final with some fantastic momentum behind them, having claimed victory in November's BLAST Premier Fall Finals. Unfortunately, it seems that OG had other plans, securing their place in the Winners Match later today through a 2-1 upset.
NAVI too have had a disappointing start to the World Final. The team has won every previous BLAST World Final in the event's history, and now stands at risk of being sent home before even leaving the group stage. The team's six-man strategy didn't save them against Team Vitality, who handily defeated the Ukrainian team in a 2-0 upset.
The odds are in NAVI's favour here - despite a frustrating start (and a challenging 2022), they're still a solid team, and bound to put Heroic through their paces if they want to survive. However, Heroic have shown a better performance than their Ukrainian rivals in recent months, so there's still every chance they could repeat their success at last month's Fall Finals.
Whoever you choose to support today, either Heroic or NAVI will be catching a flight home after today's match - Having disappointed their fans by failing to make it to the playoffs. However this plays out, it's sure to be a dramatic match - so make sure you've claimed your 100% bonus as we look towards the playoffs tomorrow.
