MOUZ have advanced to the semi-finals of BLAST Rivals Season 2 in Hong Kong following a 2-0 quarter-final victory over Vitality. By securing wins on Mirage (13-8) and Cache (16-14), the European roster continues to build momentum as a primary title contender ahead of the upcoming PGL Major Singapore.
Early exit compounds difficult tournament for Vitality
The quarter-final defeat concludes a troubled campaign in Hong Kong for Vitality. Earlier in the tournament, FURIA handed the team their first 0-13 map loss in Counter-Strike 2.
Against MOUZ, Vitality struggled to match the individual firepower across the server. Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut finished the series with a 0.86 rating, ending the event on a 0.91 rating across seven maps. That figure marks the lowest LAN tournament rating of his career. In-game leader Dan “apEX” Madesclaire also endured a quiet series, posting a 0.53 rating across the two maps.
MOUZ rifle duo dictates the pace on Mirage
MOUZ controlled the matchup behind standout performances from Adrian “xelex” Vincze and Dorian “xertioN” Berman, who recorded series ratings of 1.44 and 1.41, respectively.
MOUZ opened Mirage with a 3-0 lead on the T side before multi-kills from ZywOo and Robin “ropz” Kool allowed Vitality to stabilize and take a narrow lead into halftime. The second half belonged entirely to MOUZ. After winning the pistol round, MOUZ used a proactive CT defense to gather early information and shut down Vitality’s executes. A 1v2 clutch from xertioN secured the map 13-8.
Overtime composure on Cache sets up semi-final against Spirit
Pistol rounds proved decisive on Cache, where MOUZ won both to complete a four-for-four pistol sweep in the series. After holding a 7-5 defensive lead at the break, MOUZ took early control of the second-half economy and moved within reach of a routine victory.
Vitality extended the match through individual plays. A round-saving P250 play from William “mezii” Merriman sparked a late defensive run, and a four-kill hold from ropz (1.21 series rating) alongside consistent output from Shahar “flameZ” Shushan (1.13 rating) forced overtime. MOUZ regrouped in the extra rounds, where a three-kill play from xelex broke Vitality’s defense to close the map 16-14.
With solid supporting performances from Oldřich “PR” Nový (1.21 rating) and Lotan “Spinx” Giladi (1.04 rating), MOUZ move on to face Spirit in the semi-finals on November 14 at 09:00. A title win in Hong Kong would give MOUZ back-to-back tournament trophies, positioning them as a favorite heading into PGL Major Singapore.
