Fnatic returns to the top tier of Counter-Strike 2 with a substitute

At BLAST Open London 2025, which will be held in London in September this year, there were reports of personnel changes again before the game.

Organizer BLAST announced over the weekend that veteran English team Fnatic will replace Norwegian team HEROIC in the closed qualifiers, adding a new highlight to the event.

According to BLAST, HEROIC was unable to meet the requirements due to personnel issues. Three of the five players initially invited were unable to compete. Furthermore, returning Turkish player xfl0ud was unable to obtain a visa in time, ultimately leaving HEROIC with only two players, forcing them to withdraw from the tournament.

This means that Fnatic will return to the Counter-Strike 2 Tier 1 arena for the first time in 2025. As one of the most representative clubs in England, Fnatic last appeared in a top international event at the 2024 Shanghai Major, where they were eliminated in the top 24.

Over the past few months, Fnatic has shown impressive offline form: winning the Conquest of Prague 2025 in June and then taking second place at Glitched Masters 2025, their form has gradually improved. This crucial tournament will be a great opportunity for Fnatic to prove themselves once again.

With the addition of Fnatic, the current list of participants in the closed qualifiers includes: Vitality, MOUZ, Spirit, FaZe, NAVI, FURIA, G2, GamerLegion, Virtus.pro, Liquid, Legacy, ECSTATIC, M80, Imperial and FlyQuest.

The BLAST London Open closed qualifiers will be held from August 27th to September 1st. Teams will not only compete for a spot in the tournament, but also for a spot in the top 32 of the Valve Standings (VRS). This battle is destined to be one of the highlights of this year's Counter-Strike 2 landscape.