BLAST Rivals Hong Kong 2025 Power Rankings: Are FURIA finally favorites?

BLAST Rivals Hong Kong 2025 is here, rounding out BLAST’s contributions to the 2025 CS2 calendar. Like the earlier Rivals event in Copenhagen, this will feature just eight teams: four VRS-invited, and four regional wildcards.

Coming into the event on the back of a breakthrough win at IEM Chengdu 2025, is it FURIA’s time to top the charts? These are our BLAST Rivals Hong Kong 2025 Power Rankings.

Vitality still on top by an inch

I’ve gone with Vitality on top. Yes, they’ve lost a few Grand Finals now and are seemingly struggling to get over the line in those pivotal moments, but they still just have so much credit banked in my eyes after last season. I’m reluctant to take Vitality off the top spot, especially in a smaller format such as the one seen at BLAST Rivals Hong Kong.

For Vitality, this feels more like a tune-up event in anticipation of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025. One is certainly more crucial than the other for the team, but it would still be nice for Vitality to come into the Major on the back of winning momentum. Perhaps, then, this may be more important for Vitality than it seems?

FURIA are ready to snatch the mantle

Winning IEM Chengdu was an indication that FURIA are finally competing for events in which the best CS2 teams are attending, even beating Vitality in the Final. They are peaking at just the right time, and should they go on to win BLAST Rivals Hong Kong 2025, I’d have no qualms crowning them as the best team in the world at the moment.

For now, I have to put them in second place. Give me another win over Vitality, then maybe we can really start to talk about snatching the crown. Like Vitality, FURIA will have one eye on the Major at BLAST Rivals Hong Kong. They’ll be looking to keep the good times rolling to secure a dream ending to 2025.

Potential BLAST Rivals Hong Kong 2025 Underdogs

Because there aren’t too many teams attending BLAST Rivals Hong Kong 2025, it’s difficult to imagine any of the “worst” teams really mounting a significant underdog run. Regardless, let’s see who we have in the underdog column.

The MongolZ have to be mentioned in this breath now. With controlez, they managed to reach the Playoffs of IEM Chengdu 2025, a surprise debut considering their circumstances. All they need is an off day from their opponents, and they could find themselves pretty quickly getting a strong finish at BLAST Rivals Hong Kong 2025. The main thing we learnt at Chengdu is that The MongolZ aren’t going to completely collapse immediately.

Meanwhile, don’t completely discount paiN Gaming. Their inconsistency has prevented them from really making much of a dent in 2025, with their best result coming as a Semi-Final run at the BLAST.tv Austin Major. But importantly, paiN Gaming do have those super high ceilings when they’re in form, which is what makes their matches such an interesting prospect.