BLAST Rivals 2025 Season 2 continues its group stage with a match between Vitality and TYLOO — teams that will open the second day of play in the Group B Opening Round. This will be the first meeting between the European champions and Asia’s leading representatives since the Esports World Cup 2025, where Vitality confidently defeated the Chinese lineup. Now TYLOO will have a chance for revenge, though doing so against the world’s best team will be a monumental challenge.
BLAST RIVALS 2025 SEASON 2 — A LAN EVENT IN HONG KONG
The BLAST Rivals 2025 Season 2 tournament takes place from November 12 to 16 in Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong, featuring a $350,000 prize pool. Among the participants are Vitality, FURIA, Falcons, Spirit, The MongolZ, paiN, TYLOO, and Passion UA. The format includes Double Elimination Bo3 in the group stage and Single Elimination Bo3 in the playoffs, with the Grand Final played in a Bo5 format.
Group B, which features Vitality, TYLOO, FURIA, and paiN, will open with the match between Europe and Asia — a key confrontation that will determine who takes the first step toward the upper bracket. Vitality arrive in Hong Kong following their IEM Chengdu 2025 final appearance, while TYLOO look to recover from a streak of poor tournament results.
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HEAD-TO-HEAD — EXPERIENCE VS AMBITION
Vitality and TYLOO have faced each other twice in 2025 — both times ending in victories for the French side. At the Esports World Cup, Vitality won decisively on Nuke (13–8) and Inferno (13–4), showcasing complete superiority in structure, individual skill, and macro play.
Currently, Vitality sit at #1 HLTV and #2 VRS, while TYLOO rank #22 HLTV and #24 VRS, emphasizing the gap in class. However, TYLOO have previously surprised favorites, securing notable wins over Astralis and FaZe in regional Asian tournaments.
CURRENT FORM
- VITALITY — A GIANT SEEKING REDEMPTION
Vitality (#1 HLTV, #2 VRS) enter BLAST Rivals following their IEM Chengdu 2025 final, where they fell to FURIA (0–3). Despite the defeat, they remain one of the most consistent teams in the world, with a 72% win rate over the last three months.
The lineup of apEX — ropz — flameZ — mezii — ZywOo continues to perform at the highest individual level. ZywOo maintains a 1.27 rating, 84.2 ADR, and 76% KAST, while ropz and flameZ form the team’s main striking force on entries. Mezii plays the anchor role with reliability, and apEX provides structured leadership with exceptional mid-game adaptation.
In Chengdu, Vitality defeated MOUZ, Astralis, G2, and Lynn Vision, but fell to FURIA in the grand final. The team is now determined to reclaim the #1 VRS ranking, and the match against TYLOO presents the perfect opportunity to do so convincingly.
- TYLOO — THE POWER OF ASIA STILL LACKING EXPERIENCE
TYLOO (#22 HLTV, #24 VRS) arrive in Hong Kong following a series of disappointing results. At IEM Chengdu 2025, they finished 13th–16th, losing to paiN (0–2) and Falcons (0–2). Over the past three months, their win rate stands at only 33.3%, with a losing streak stretching for over a month.
Their standout player is JamYoung (1.04 rating, 75.8 ADR, 69.7% KAST), often clutching rounds to keep TYLOO competitive. Mercury and Attacker provide stability, but the team lacks the strategic depth and structure needed to compete with top-tier opposition. Captain Jee continues to reshape TYLOO’s style toward a faster European pace, but the experience gap between Asian and European lineups remains significant.
MAP POOL & VETO
Last 3 months (Vitality | TYLOO):
- Dust2: 90% | —
- Mirage: 64% | 40%
- Inferno: 69% | 27%
- Nuke: 67% | 17%
- Train: 44% | 60%
- Overpass: 43% | 60%
- Ancient: — | 25%
Expected veto:
- TYLOO will remove Dust2, where Vitality have won 9 of their last 10 matches and hold the highest win rate globally.
- Vitality will ban Ancient, TYLOO’s most comfortable map.
Likely picks:
- Vitality: Inferno — a comfortable map for the French squad, where they consistently execute apEX’s tactical setups.
- TYLOO: Overpass — their only map with a positive win rate (60%) and a chance to control positions effectively.
Decider: Nuke — a battleground where Vitality traditionally excel, but which still offers room for surprises from JamYoung.
KEY DUELS
- ZywOo vs JamYoung — the star duel. ZywOo remains the best player in the world, while JamYoung is TYLOO’s sole hope against European dominance. His consistency will be crucial if TYLOO want to claim even a single map.
- apEX vs Jee — a captain’s clash of experience and inspiration. apEX brings over 15 years of competitive history and dozens of titles, while Jee is still defining his identity on the global CS stage.
- ropz vs Attacker — the entry battle. ropz constantly creates space for ZywOo, while Attacker tries to respond in kind but often lacks the necessary support.
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PREDICTION
Vitality approach this match as clear favorites. They possess stable form, a deep map pool, and some of the strongest mechanical players in the world. TYLOO, in contrast, are in a rebuilding phase and still struggle to maintain consistency against top-tier LAN opponents.
Even if TYLOO manage to surprise in the opening rounds, Vitality should confidently close the series 2–0. The European roster cannot afford to falter in the Opening Round, as the Hong Kong event marks a key step in their preparation for the BLAST World Finals.
Predicted score: Vitality 2–0 TYLOO.
