The North American squad M80 became one of the biggest surprises of the BLAST Open London 2025 cycle. Entering the closed qualifiers as underdogs, they managed to take down Virtus.pro, Natus Vincere, and fnatic, while even stealing a map from Vitality. Later, at the main event, they came within touching distance of eliminating MOUZ in the quarterfinals — a series that showed just how far this roster has come.
A Sleepless Start vs. Vitality
M80’s qualifier run started with perhaps the toughest challenge possible — facing Vitality. To make things worse, the North Americans entered the match after just four hours of sleep, having played late into the night in an NA event before switching to European servers.
Even so, M80 shocked the favorites by destroying Vitality 13–3 on the opening map. It was a statement performance that demonstrated their ability to punch above their weight. Although Vitality eventually won the series 2–1, M80 proved they could compete against the very best.
Taking Down Virtus.pro
Next came Virtus.pro, and after a shaky start on Overpass (4–13), M80 recovered with composure to take Dust2 (13–6) and Mirage (13–9). Their 2–1 win highlighted how well they adapt under pressure.
s1n later reflected on the team’s resilience:
We got schooled and continue our run in the lower bracket now. Proud of the boys, we need to continue and add good rounds together and we might just rumble our opponents.
Shocking NAVI
Perhaps the most impressive result of their qualifiers came against Natus Vincere. M80 played fearless Counter-Strike, winning Ancient (13–9) and closing Inferno (13–11) in the decider.
This upset not only eliminated NAVI but also showed that M80 could win clutch rounds against tier-one legends. Lake admitted the importance of staying grounded:
1:2 MOUZ close fought game for the first 2 maps, didn’t really play to my standards in the playoffs, good showing from the team looking forward to keep the grind going.
Securing Qualification vs. fnatic
The final qualifier series against fnatic was M80’s most confident showing. They cruised through Ancient (13–8) and edged out Train (16–14) to clinch the 2–0 win and secure their place in London.
For s1n, it was a special moment:
First big event arena playoffs. What a team man, what a power up. GG’s fnatic. We’re going to London baby. So happy, I’ll hold my own more and we’ll do some more damage.
Main Event: A Respectable Run
In London, M80 proved that their qualifier run was no accident. They again beat Virtus.pro, took down NAVI, and outclassed fnatic before facing MOUZ in the quarterfinals.
- Ancient went the way of MOUZ (13–10).
- M80 responded with a sharp Mirage (13–9).
- On Inferno, MOUZ’s experience showed, and they closed the series 13–3.
After the game, Swisher summed up the emotions:
A ton of good takeaways from this event and proud of the boys for our resilience. Didn’t play as well individually as I wanted to but always room for improvement. Appreciate the support online and especially in the Arena. F*cking hell what a great feeling.
HexT also highlighted what it meant to play in London:
So so close but not quite there yet. What an insane feeling to play in front of that crowd and amazing to see everyone enjoy it too. With that being said we are out of BLAST London and we have Thunderpick next. GGs.
What It Means for NA CS
M80’s journey through the qualifiers and main event of BLAST Open London 2025 was one of resilience, adaptation, and belief. They battled fatigue, shocked tier-one giants like NAVI and Virtus.pro, and nearly pulled off a stunning upset over MOUZ in the playoffs.
This run proves that M80 are no longer just a regional contender — they can challenge the world’s best. If they stabilize their individual performances and build on this foundation, London may well be remembered as the event where M80 truly announced themselves on the international stage.
M80’s run also reignited discussions about the state of North American Counter-Strike. While the region has struggled to produce consistent tier-one contenders in recent years, M80’s success shows that NA talent can still rise to the international stage. Their performance in London may serve as a turning point and a source of optimism for the future of NA CS.
