Beating the percentages: All essentially the most surprising performances and outcomes from the 2022 CS:GO season

While CS:GO may be chock-full of proficient gamers and machine-like group cohesion which separates one of the best of one of the best from the lower-caliber squads, there has all the time been room for upsets. The match scene provides followers greater than they may ever dream of, with occasions taking place all year long virtually weekly.

In these weeks, there are groups that pull rabbits out of the hat, forcing their approach by means of any tier of competitors to win all of it, and it’s occurred a number of instances this season.

Here are essentially the most surprising performances in 2022. (The significance of the win, their type previous to the occasion, and naturally, the gamers within the squad have been considered for this Counter-Strike checklist.)

FaZe Clan successful IEM Katowice 2022

While FaZe Clan is now generally known as a powerhouse CS:GO roster sporting a group of lethal aimers, this was the beginning of the squad’s almost-record-breaking 2022.

The group copped one dangerous hand after one other, with the COVID-19 pandemic ripping gamers from the roster left, proper, and heart. Robin “ropz” Kool had simply joined the group, and the transfer was seen as a game-changer for the group. FaZe had carried out nicely on the BLAST Premier Spring Groups 2022, Katowice was their second occasion collectively, and so they began off robust.

The group was seen as a possible trophy winner, however the pandemic had different concepts. Players got here out and in of the roster, forcing the group to regulate positions to even stand an opportunity.

This is the place Justin “jks” Savage got here in. The Australian stood in for FaZe, taking each ropz and Håvard “rain” Nygaard’s locations resulting from sickness, requiring the Aussie to modify roles on a number of events.

Elsewhere on the now star-studded Counter-Strike roster, Finn “karrigan” Andersen confirmed he’s in rivalry for the G.O.A.T. in-game-leaders, placing jks in one of the best positions with a purpose to take residence the trophy. The roster beat the likes of Gambit (now Cloud9), G2, Heroic, and Liquid (granted with shox), all with a stand-in.

FaZe went on to win a bundle of occasions after Katowice, however this was the beginning.

Outsiders lifting the IEM Rio 2022 Major trophy

Photo by Michal Konko by way of ESL Gaming

Formerly generally known as Virtus Pro, the Outsiders roster has all the time been a harmful group to play towards.

Outsiders have been a titan killer within the CS:GO scene for years, destroying the goals of extremely robust groups because the begin of the roster. They’re formulaic. Their techniques grind groups down, bringing video games right down to the wire, and making their opponents work for his or her win. Their financial mindset ensures they’re all the time saving for the following spherical, however when push involves shove, they’ll all clutch when obligatory.

While their IEM Rio run was simpler than others, it doesn’t take away the very fact they survived towards an arguably stronger Heroic aspect within the grand finals.

The stress didn’t section the CIS roster. They lived as much as the earlier Virtus Pro roster’s legacy, taking residence one other main win for the group. In their run, Outsiders took on each upcoming underdog within the scene. MOUZ, Fnatic, and Spirit fell by the hands of Outsiders, leaving them towards the remaining fave, Heroic, to then win in Rio.

In the identical occasion, Dzhami “Jame” Ali solidified his standing as probably the greatest IGLs in CS:GO proper now, bringing his roster of younger weapons to the principle stage and grand finals as soon as extra.

This was additionally the match the place Petr “fame” Bolyshev proved he may tackle any caliber of participant, and do harm.

No one anticipated them to win, however they took residence one of many largest CS:GO trophies.

G2 successful the ultimate match of the yr

Image by Stephanie Lindgren by way of BLAST

It had been over 1,000 days since G2 had received a map in a closing. In 2017, the group received DreamHack Masters Malmö with a wholly French roster. Now they’ve a number of the most impactful aimers on the earth, however they hadn’t achieved something noteworthy for years.

The squad suffered from a number of roster strikes annually, making group cohesion an uphill battle. The group has had three totally different IGLs in 2022 alone, leaving a hive-mind-like closing type nigh unimaginable to attain.

The penny dropped at IEM Rio Major when G2 did not qualify after shedding the groups like GamerLegion and 1WIN within the Road to Rio. This yr, it didn’t really feel like G2 was going to raise any trophies. This may have been their final yr collectively as a squad.

G2 has been in disarray for what appears like an eternity. Poor performances got here day in and time out for the squad, with a glimmer of hope arriving at ESL Pro League Season 16 the place they beat each main successful groups in 2022 within the group stage.

The squad was undefeated till they reached the BLAST playoffs. They took down NAVI within the quarter-finals however have been stopped of their tracks by Vitality, who went on to win the occasion. For followers, it felt like after a number of failed occasions Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen’s group was getting ready to collapse, and the BLAST Premier World Final 2022 match was a breath of contemporary air.

Ilya “m0nesy” Osipov earned the MVP of the match. The CIS prodigy received each single 1v2 he was thrust into and was an integral participant all through the entire match. On solely two events did the Russian AWPer go beneath a 1.00 score in 12 maps.

G2 beat each large participant within the scene. For the second time this yr, they beat each main successful groups, taking down virtually all the opposite contenders within the course of. Vitality, Liquid, Outsiders, and FaZe suffered defeats by the hands of G2, leaving them the ultimate champions of the yr, and taking residence the $500,000 prize.