The quarter-final bracket for BLAST Bounty Season 2 Finals has been finalized after a live draft event in Malta that unfolded largely as anticipated.
Teams seeded fifth through eighth selected their opponents from the top four seeds, with paiN gaming earning first selection rights. Despite their slide to 29th in the global rankings, paiN captain biguzera chose Astralis as their opponent. He explained the strategic reasoning: Astralis default to Ancient, a map paiN doesn't play, creating an immediate advantage. The Brazilian leader also referenced their recent head-to-head victory, though he cautioned that Counter-Strike outcomes aren't always predictable.
FaZe opted for The MongolZ, citing the value of an extra preparation day and crucial VRS ranking points. FaZe's enkay J clarified that maaRaa's absence didn't influence their decision, while The MongolZ player Techno suggested their new roster members might perform more freely without heavy expectations.
3DMAX faced a choice between MOUZ and tournament favorites Spirit, ultimately selecting MOUZ. Captain wasiNk revealed this was their preferred matchup from the beginning, particularly with MOUZ's recent roster changes making them an appealing target from a map pool perspective.
Liquid received the remaining slot against Spirit, as flashie had anticipated. The North American squad has already exceeded expectations in the online stage under new caller JT and rookie AWPer Jorko, defeating both Vitality and G2 to reach Malta. Spirit's magixx acknowledged Liquid earned respect with their Vitality victory, joking that his own team barely survived the online phase. Now Liquid face their stiffest test yet in the tournament's opening offline match.
