Over the years, there has been some incredible CS:GO rivalries on the server. We want to take a look back in time at the most intense of them all, and how they influenced their respective periods of CS:GO. With the high stakes of competitive CS:GO, we certainly have plenty of options to choose from.
3. Astralis vs Liquid
Astralis beat Liquid at IEM Chicago 2018. Credit: Helena Kristiansson | © ESL
What do you call a rivalry where one side always wins? You call it Astralis v Liquid. The truth is that no one could compete with peak Astralis, who defined the modern meta for CS:GO as we know it today. This was a team that smashed the CS:GO Major records, winning three in a row between 2018 and 2019.
During this time, the pair met a few times in CS:GO Majors, and it seemed like Astralis always came out on top. Liquid just couldn’t find a way past the Danish machine, despite being two of the top CS:GO teams at their peak.
Of all the CS:GO rivalries, this one was arguably the most influenced by matches outside of the Majors. Between mid-2018 and late-2019, the two met an incredible eight times in Grand Finals. Astralis came out on top in seven, to Liquid’s one. There’s no doubt that this was a somewhat one-sided rivalry, but considering how good Astralis were, there’s absolutely no shame in that.
It’s a great shame that we never saw these two compete in a CS:GO Major final together, as it surely would have been legendary.
2. FaZe vs NAVI
A competitive respect. Credit: Luc Bouchon | © PGL
FaZe vs NAVI – the CS:GO rivalry of the modern age. Two of the top CS:GO teams to ever do it, going to war for the bragging rights of a generation.
It’s hard to pinpoint where it all began to get heated between these two. During NAVI’s era of dominance in 2021, FaZe were still building their project, with other challengers proving to be a bigger problem for the Ukranians.
In early 2022 though, karrigan’s big plan began to come together. FaZe exploded, and all of sudden were challenging for everything alongside NAVI. On one side you had NAVI, elevated by s1mple, one of the best CS:GO players of all time. And on the other, FaZe, a cohesive unit with passion and fortitude like no other. Both were capable of some of the best CS:GO kills you’ll ever see, with the teams separated only by the finest of margins.
It all hit an apex at PGL Antwerp Major 2022. The Grand Final – FaZe looking for their first ever CS:GO Major, vs NAVI looking for their second in as many years. It didn’t disappoint, as FaZe put on a masterclass to win 2:0.
Neither team have managed to hit their respective peaks ever since, but the CS:GO rivalries between the teams and players remain. No matter where they meet, regardless of the stakes, FaZe vs NAVI will always be a match to keep an eye on in the future. Their final CS:GO Major meeting will go down in history too, as they met in the Paris Major Legends Stage to decide the last spot in the fabled Champions Stage.
1. NIP vs Fnatic
Fnatic after defeating NIP in 2015. Credit: ESL
You’re old-school if you remember the days of the NIP vs Fnatic rivalry. It seems funny now with both teams languishing on the outskirts of Tier 1, but this was one of the great CS:GO rivalries, defining the early esports scene for the game in 2013 and 2014.
These were two top CS:GO teams not afraid to duke it out on the biggest stage of all. Looking back, we were already watching some of the best CS:GO players of all time defining their own legacies in the game.
Of the first five CS:GO Majors, three of the Grand Finals were between Fnatic and NIP. Fnatic managed to take two, whereas NIP just one. It was particularly bittersweet for NIP, who were losers in the other two Major Grand Finals against Virtus.pro and LDLC. A chance for five CS:GO Major wins for NIP, reduced to a single title.
It’s remarkable how competitive this rivalry was, especially in the biggest games. There was never any hiding from the immense pressure. It went the distance in all three Major finals, with three maps being needed to separate the teams. These organizations may not be the powerhouses they once were, but it’s important to remember how they were one of the greatest CS:GO rivalries ever, if not the best.
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