Spirit reach BLAST Bounty grand final after edging past FaZe

Spirit has secured their place in the grand final of the BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 2 after a tightly contested matchup against FaZe. The Russian squad managed to erase an early 1-6 deficit on Anubis, displaying remarkable resilience in a key moment of the game.

Initially, FaZe looked dominant as they triumphed on Dust2 and started strong on Cache. However, Spirit's performance improved after a sluggish start, with the team recovering from behind, particularly in a pivotal Cache match where Russel "Twistzz" Van Dulken and his lineup could only watch as Spirit clawed their way back.

Notably, Ryan "Neityu" Aubry delivered a remarkable Deagle triple to help Spirit steal rounds during force buys, shifting momentum in favor of the Russian team. David "frozen" Čerňanský also found his footing after a slow start, enabling Spirit to take the lead on their preferred CT side.

As the match transitioned to Anubis, FaZe established an early lead at 6-1 on the T side. However, Dmitry "sh1ro" Sokolov’s AWP play shifted the balance, allowing Spirit to adapt their strategy effectively. Despite FaZe winning the second pistol and extending the lead to 10-5, Spirit's calculated tactical approach stymied FaZe, keeping them unaware of their intentions in the late rounds.

Although FaZe attempted a comeback with an aggressive play from A, Spirit responded decisively. Ultimately, the match ended 13-11 in favor of Spirit, who benefited from a crucial last-minute bomb plant in the final round. Danil "donk" Kryshkovets, previously in excellent form with a 1.60 rating at Bounty, was notably absent from the scoreboard during this crucial match. Instead, sh1ro emerged as a standout performer along with Boris "magixx" Vorobiev, who excelled on Dust2, and Myroslav "zont1x" Plakhotia, who was instrumental in the victory on Anubis.

For FaZe, this defeat concludes their run at the Bounty tournament, where they achieved a top-four finish, continuing their push to reclaim a spot in the tier-one scene. They currently sit at 13th on the preliminary VRS, just short of securing direct invitations to upcoming events like ESL Pro League and IEM Beijing, with opportunities still available at FISSURE Playground 5.