Despite a promising start with a closer-than-expected match against Fnatic, British CS:GO team Viperio have unfortunately fallen short of their hopes of making it to the last CS:GO Major, the BLAST.tv Paris Major.
Viperio talks BLAST.tv Paris Major predictions and Counter-Strike 2 hopes
The team finished up the European RMR in 15th-16th place alongside SAW, meaning that they'll be unable to claim a last-chance bid to qualify at the European RMR Decider.
Viperio started out at the RMR facing some steep odds, with them facing off against Fnatic on April 6. Despite them being heavily favoured to lose, they came agonisingly close to pulling off an upset win - aided by an incredible clutch from Callum "Girafffe" Jones that saw Viperio winning their first round. Unfortunately, however, it wasn't enough for them to claim victory - with Fnatic closing out the series with a score of 20 - 22 in the best-of-one match.
Their next match, unfortunately, proved even more challenging, as the British team faced off against Bad News Eagles, who handed them a 9 - 16 defeat. There were plenty of tough lessons learned for Viperio here, with hopes that they'll be able to come back stronger with the upcoming launch of Counter-Strike 2.
Finally, their run at the European RMR came to an end following a closely-fought match against Sprout, which ended with a score of 2-1. Viperio started out the series strong, claiming a commanding 16-7 win on their map pick of Vertigo. Sadly, however, Sprout quickly recovered, taking both Ancient and Anubis with scores of 16-9 and 16-6, respectively.
It may have brought an end to their Paris Major dreams, but there's still plenty for Viperio (and the rest of us) to look forward to. The BLAST.tv Paris Major is due to take place from May 8-21, and will act as the last-ever CS:GO Major, before Counter-Strike 2 takes over later this year.
It's a time of enormous change for the Counter-Strike esports scene, and so we sat down with Viperio's Callum "Girafffe" Jones, Jack "Gizmy" von Spreckelsen, Marco "MMS" Salomone and Matas "Extinct" Strumila to get their predictions - as well as their takeaways from their European RMR run.
Tough luck at the RMRs! What were the highlights of your matches there?
Girafffe: My personal highlight was the Fnatic game, in particular my clutch ace to win us our first round. I also managed to knife veteran player Krimz and dropped 43 kills. For my debut at Tier 1, I was very happy.
And which team impressed you most?
Girafffe: Which team impressed me the most? Would definitely have to be Into The Breach. They had one of the hardest runs and still made it through which is incredible. It’s an added bonus that they’re a UK roster, flying the flag for us at the final CS:GO Major.
Were there any tough lessons from your RMR matches, as you look to continue to improve your performance?
Gizmy: Maintaining focus and keeping energy levels high were key learnings for us as a team. This was especially evident during our game versus BNE. One small mistake can easily create a massive problem when you play players of that level.
There are just a few spots left to fill at the Paris Majors - what other teams do you expect to qualify?
Gizmy: Of the last day's matchups, I think ENCE, Forze, and Ninjas In Pyjamas will go through.
Which teams do you think will make it through to the Paris Major grand final, and who will be the ultimate winner?
MMS: I think that G2 and Heroic will make the grand final ultimately, with G2 winning the tournament, they’ve shown really good form so far this year and I believe it's their time to win it all.
The Paris Major will be the final CS:GO Major. How do you feel about saying goodbye to CS:GO after all these years?
Extinct: I am happy that the game is finally being upgraded to a new and better engine, and I am curious to see what will happen with the meta being completely changed with the new smokes. I am definitely excited for the future of the game, but it does feel weird saying goodbye to CS:GO. Hopefully CS2 doesn't mess things up and remains just as good, if not better.
And what expectations do you have for Counter-Strike 2?
Extinct: I expect the game to still be the same as CS:GO with just visual and performance upgrades. The core mechanics of the game seem to have not changed, which is good since that would have probably steered people away from liking the game. I do also see the meta being adjusted with the new smokes. They will probably end up nerfing the HE grenades effect on the smokes since right now they just seem to be overpowered.
The Paris Major is just around the corner, and you'll be able to watch the last CS:GO esports major right here on Luckbox. If you're looking to bet on CS:GO, just check out our upcoming CS:GO match schedule. And to make the most of your CS:GO betting experience, remember to sign up to claim your free 100% bonus!
