G2 Esports have claimed their first trophy of 2025 after outlasting Team Vitality in a nail-biting Grand Final at the OVO Arena Wembley. The 3-2 victory in front of a packed London crowd crowned G2 as BLAST Open London champions, marking the team’s first title under new in-game leader Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač.

A RETURN TO THE TOP 308 DAYS IN THE MAKING 🏆

WE ARE THE BLAST PREMIER OPEN LONDON CHAMPIONS! pic.twitter.com/XKdCR50Loj

— G2 CS (@G2CSGO) September 7, 2025

The win caps off an incredible weekend for G2, who had already dispatched FaZe and FURIA before taking down Vitality in a rollercoaster best-of-five. For Vitality, it’s another crushing blow, as they continue their hunt for a title four events into the season. Their last top-tier win dates back to June at the BLAST Austin Major.

How the Grand Final Played Out

The series kicked off on Dust2, Vitality’s pick, but it was G2 who set the tone. They raced ahead with a dominant 10-2 lead in the first half, with every player hitting double digits. Not even Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut’s stunning ace clutch could spark a turnaround. G2 sealed the opener 13-3, with MATYS and HeavyGod cleaning up in style.

Vitality responded on Mirage, where ZywOo unleashed one of the most jaw-dropping performances of the year. He finished the map with a 30-6 K/D, including a flawless T-side run and his second ace of the series. Vitality tied things up 1-1 with a convincing 13-6.

ZywOo on T side of Mirage:

▪️ 3.92 Rating
▪️ +30.55% Round Swing
▪️ 16-0 K-D

and THIS 💀 pic.twitter.com/wI594kU3ya

— HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) September 7, 2025

On Overpass, Vitality carried their momentum forward. A tight first half ended 6-6, but Robin “ropz” Kool and Shahar “flameZ” Shushan helped fuel a dominant CT side. G2 barely scraped an eco round as Vitality pulled ahead 2-1 in the series.

Inferno became the turning point. Despite Vitality starting strong, G2 refused to fold. Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa and Matúš “MATYS” Šimko came alive late, dragging the match into overtime. Against the odds, G2 rallied to take Inferno 16-12, forcing a decider.

That left Train, where the least experienced players on G2’s roster, MATYS and Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko, stole the spotlight. HeavyGod’s Dual Berettas ace and a clutch 1v2 silenced Vitality’s early hopes, while MATYS racked up multi-kills to keep the momentum rolling. G2 closed the map 13-6, sending Wembley Arena into raptures.

Standout Performances

While ZywOo was undeniably the star for Vitality, posting 87 kills and two aces across the series, G2’s strength came from balance. MATYS finished with a 1.21 rating, HeavyGod added clutch after clutch, and malbsMd delivered when it mattered most.

After the match, HeavyGod summed up G2’s approach, saying the roster “doesn’t need an insane superstar” because they know how to act as a unit. That teamwork carried them all the way to the trophy.

First mvp for me and first trophyyyy crazyyyyyy thanks for all the support ❤️ https://t.co/0GZM6I78fp

— HeavyGod (@HeavyGodCS) September 7, 2025

What This Means

For G2, this win is massive. Not only do they take home $150,000 NZD (~£110,933), but they also climb up the VRS global rankings to fifth. It’s a statement victory that puts them firmly in the mix ahead of the Budapest Major later this year.

For Vitality, it’s back to the drawing board. Despite ZywOo’s brilliance, the team once again fell short when it mattered most. With Team Spirit currently topping the global rankings, Vitality will need to regroup fast if they want to reclaim their spot at the top.

The BLAST season continues in November with BLAST Rivals Fall in Hong Kong, where the world’s best will clash again. If this Grand Final was anything to go by, fans are in for another wild ride.

The post G2 Esports Beat Vitality in Five-Map Thriller to Win BLAST Open London 2025 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

It’s not often you see Danil “donk” Kryshkovets have an off day. The 2024 Player of the Year has built a reputation for dismantling teams almost single-handedly, but against G2, that streak of dominance finally hit a speed bump.

donk came into the BLAST Bounty Season 2 match riding a personal best, 29 maps in a row with a 1.00+ rating. That’s nearly 11 months without a bad performance on the scoreboard. But on this day, G2’s game plan (whether intentional or not) shut him down, handing him back-to-back negative-rated maps for the first time this year.

Even donk himself was surprised.

donk’s reaction on the victory: pic.twitter.com/g1C65sd2qN

— CS2 NEWS (@CS2News_EN) August 9, 2025

G2’s Plan That Wasn’t Supposed to Be

While it might have looked like G2 had cracked the code to stop donk, coach Eetu “sAw” Saha insisted it wasn’t a targeted shutdown. Instead, they tweaked their approach, avoiding Mid early on, which naturally limited donk’s impact. “It wasn’t targeted at him, it was overall the team, and it was just the game plan we chose for this match,” sAw explained after the series.

Intentional or not, it worked. For most of the first two maps, donk couldn’t find his usual groove, and G2 were on the verge of pulling off an upset against the IEM Cologne champions.

Spirit Still Find a Way

But here’s the thing about Spirit, they’re not a one-man team. Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov, Myroslav “zont1x” Plakhotia, and Ivan “zweih” Gogin all stepped up when it mattered most.

The series kicked off on Mirage, where G2 started strong and put Spirit’s defence under real pressure. Spirit only scraped two of the first nine rounds, but key triples from zont1x and zweih kept them alive. A late push saw Spirit claw back to take the map 13-11, even with donk posting his first negative rating in eight months.

On Ancient, G2 hit back hard. Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač led the charge, and G2’s defence punished Spirit’s site hits again and again. The result? A 13-7 win for G2 and donk finishing with just a 0.84 rating, a rare sight for the star rifler.

That left it all to be decided on Dust2. While donk’s struggles continued, sh1ro and zont1x kept delivering in clutch moments. Álvaro “SunPayus” García and Matúš “MATYS” Šimko put up a fight for G2, but Spirit’s pistols broke the game open early in the second half. From there, they ran away with it, sealing a 13-7 win and locking in their place at the BLAST Bounty Finals.

When donk is not at his best, @sh1rocsgo rises to the occasion 👏 pic.twitter.com/4USRaRCqua

— HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) August 9, 2025

Spirit book their tickets to BLAST Bounty LAN Finals 🛫🇲🇹 pic.twitter.com/k09tUSRVBy

— HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) August 9, 2025

The Bigger Picture

For G2, it was a gamble to challenge Spirit, their first meeting since losing NiKo and m0NESY, and they came dangerously close to making it pay off. For Spirit, it’s a reminder that even when their superstar has an off day, they have the depth to get the job done.

As for donk? If history’s anything to go by, this blip won’t last long. But it’s proof that even the game’s most consistent fraggers aren’t untouchable.

The post donk’s 29 Game Positive Rating Is Over as Spirit Defeat G2 at BLAST Bounty Season 2 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.