- FaZe Clan defeated NaVi and won the PGL Antwerp Major 2022
- FaZe dominated their opponent during the whole match, scoring a decisive victory
- The match becomes the second most-viewed CS:GO match ever
FaZe Clan defeats NaVi at the final match of the PGL Antwerp Major 2022, an event that broke viewership records.
FaZe Emerges Victorious
The PGL Antwerp Major 2022 just ended and FaZe Clan emerged victorious, all the while making history by becoming the first international CS:GO lineup to be crowned as Major champions. FaZe went up against a tough opponent in the face of Natus Vincere (NaVi), who, despite their reputation, could not hold back against the Clan.
FaZe Clan had the upper hand from the start, being able to choose the first map. The teams started on Inferno, with FaZe winning the first eight rounds. NaVi responded by winning five rounds as defenders, followed by an equally destructive T-side that forced the game into overtime. Although NaVi’s heroic second half was not enough, it did set the atmosphere for the BO3 series for the second game on Nuke.
This time FaZe played as a defender and barred NaVi from attacking from many angles. The famed CT-side of NAVI on Nuke was not prepared for what FaZe Clan had in store for it, as rain ran circles around it and pierced the NAVI defense multiple times to provide his team with a huge advantage at crucial points of the game.
Aleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev, NaVi’s star player, did not manage to lead his team to victory. He eventually finished with an overall HLTV rating of just 0.89 along with a -7 K/D ratio. On the other hand, Valerii “b1t” Vakhovskyi, NaVi’s youngest player, performed exceptionally well and delivered an impactful performance on the big stage.
FaZe’s players also shined after the victory, namely captain Finn “karrigan” Andersen. AT 32 years old, he became the oldest CS:GO player to become a Major champion.
The Match Broke Viewership Records
Interestingly, the match also became the second most-viewed CS:GO match in history, according to data collected by Esports Charts. It surpassed 1.5 million concurrent viewers across all streams and platforms before the first half of map one on Inferno even ended.
It has to be said that this number combines the viewers from the main streams on Twitch and YouTube, as well as co-streams and streams in other languages. With its 1.5 million concurrent viewers, this match surpasses the previous second place holder – another match involving NaVi, playing at the PGL Stockholm 2021 semifinals against Gambit.
With over 68 million total hours watched, the PGL Antwerp Major becomes the second most-viewed CS:GO event. It surpasses the FACEIT London 2018 Major, which scored 61 million total hours watched. However, Antwerp still sits behind PGL Stockholm in this category, which has generated over 71 million hours watched.
