MOUZ’s BLAST Rivals Spring 2025 exit shows early year form was a false dawn

Just a few months back, MOUZ were PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025 champions in their first event with Brollan as in-game leader. The competition was weak, but the feeling was that it could be a springboard to huge things for MOUZ going forward.

As momentum gathered, MOUZ finished runners-up at their next two events, understandably losing to a generational Vitality roster in the Finals of ESL Pro League Season 21 and BLAST Open Spring 2025. In a vacuum, both results are fine, but you can only be the bridesmaid so many times before you long to be the bride. IEM Melbourne arrived, and it was a fourth-placed finish there for MOUZ, too, where they lost to Falcons in their first event with m0NESY in the lineup.

MOUZ sent packing from BLAST Rivals Spring 2025 by Falcons

Now, the team find themselves eliminated from BLAST Rivals Spring 2025, having once again lost to Falcons in the Semi-Finals. Where MOUZ have stagnated in recent months, they have been overtaken by another team who are better than them on a consistent basis. The momentum for MOUZ has slowed, and I’m not quite sure how they get it back. It’s not a “rot” taking hold, but it’s certainly a disappointment given the promise shown when Brollan became the in-game leader. Against Falcons in Copenhagen, things just looked a little messy. Not bad, per se. But messy nonetheless.

It’s equally important to remember that this is such a young team. It’s easy to forget, as the core has been together for so long now, but all of the players on this team are 22 or under (minus Spinx), which in Counter-Strike terms, is nowhere near their peak. Jimpphat is still just 18 years old and is pretty much a Tier 1 veteran at this point. There’s time for MOUZ to get back on the saddle after their BLAST Rivals Spring disappointment and push those top-four finishes just a little further. Individually, the players are still delivering –  there’s no massive underperformer you can point to as a glaring problem, which suggests those wins aren’t too far away.

Time off the server can be valuable for MOUZ

Now, MOUZ have just over two weeks before their next official match. They’ll skip PGL Astana 2025 to head to IEM Dallas 2025, which begins on May 19th. Over recent months, it has seemed like MOUZ haven’t had a moment to stop, breathe, and improve their game, instead hopping from one tournament to another in pursuit of glory. Now, with a few weeks off, it’s going to be a crucial period for the team.

Undoubtedly, it won’t be a period completely comprised of rest and recuperation. With the BLAST.tv Austin Major around the corner, it’s vital for MOUZ to stay in their best form. However, they need to use the time to come up with fresh ideas on the server and come to the table at IEM Dallas with some new tricks up their sleeve. If they let their current status as perennial Playoff losers get to them, it could spiral out of control without a few more trophy lifts in 2025.