In Stage 2 (Round of 16) of BLAST Bounty 2025 Season 2, two more matches were played, determining the next participants of the LAN Finals. Aurora utterly dismantled HEROIC, leaving no room for a comeback, while Vitality overcame Legacy without much resistance. Both series ended 2–0, but the dynamics and style of victory were completely different.
Aurora 2–0 HEROIC — Total Domination by the Turkish Squad
Before the match, HEROIC (seed #10) had the right to choose their opponent and decided to face Aurora (seed #5). Many considered this choice logical — Aurora are not among the European top three, and HEROIC expected to dictate their own pace. In practice, however, the opposite happened: Aurora dominated from the first to the last round, winning the series in the most convincing fashion.
Overpass (HEROIC pick) — 2:13
HEROIC’s pick turned into a nightmare. Aurora immediately seized the initiative on defense, using aggressive pushes and tight control of key areas. The first half ended 0:12, making it clear there was virtually no chance for a comeback. After the side switch, HEROIC won the pistol round but lost the following force buy and completely collapsed.
Dust2 (Aurora pick) — 13:9
On their own pick, Aurora played with more freedom but maintained control of the game. HEROIC managed to take 5 rounds in the first half (5:7) and briefly closed the gap to 8:9, but in the decisive moment the Turkish squad won three in a row thanks to well-executed long takes. The final round was sealed by woxic with back-to-back sniper kills.
Player stats for the match
Player of the Match — Samet “jottAAA” Köklü
jottAAA was the driving force behind Aurora’s success. His consistency in duels, confident entry frags, and clutch plays gave his team incredible momentum. On Overpass, he repeatedly punished opponents for any mistakes in their executes, and on Dust2 he dominated mid and long duels.
Vitality 2–0 Legacy — Brazilians Fall Short of an Upset
Legacy (seed #16) faced Vitality (seed #1) by default — there was no choice of opponent. This meant the Brazilians had to play against the tournament’s top favorite. Despite this, Legacy tried to put up a fight, especially on the first map, but ultimately Vitality controlled both maps.
Mirage (Legacy pick) — 12:16
The Brazilians made a bold choice, hoping to use their practiced T-side strategies. The first half went well for them: 7:5 in favor of Legacy. But after the switch, Vitality entered full “champion mode” — shutting them out 4–0 in the second-half scoreline and taking full control of the economy. ZywOo with the AWP didn’t allow the Brazilians to leave spawn without losses.
Dust2 (Vitality pick) — 13:8
The start was even (6:6 in the first half), but again after switching sides, Vitality broke their opponent with a streak of 7 consecutive defensive rounds. ropz and flameZ alternated in finding entry frags, while apEX efficiently managed the defense’s resources. Legacy couldn’t find a single effective execute, even with a full buy in the final rounds.
Player stats for the match
Player of the Match — Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut
ZywOo once again proved why he is considered the best in the world. His 40 frags over two maps, stability in crucial moments, and ability to shut down attacks before they reached the bombsite formed the foundation of Vitality’s success.
What It Means for the Tournament
Aurora’s confident victory gives them a major psychological boost ahead of the LAN Finals. The team showed they are ready to battle even higher-ranked opponents and possess a deep tactical pool.
Vitality once again demonstrated stability and iron discipline. Given their current form, the French-European lineup looks like the main favorite for the title — especially when ZywOo plays at his peak.
The LAN Finals promise to be extremely intense, as the list of participants now includes four powerful squads — The MongolZ, MOUZ, Aurora, and Vitality.
