In a groundbreaking match yesterday at the BLAST Bounty tournament, Natus Vincere faced off against Imperial fe, marking the first time a women's team competed in a Tier 1 CS2 event. The matchup drew significant attention, with over 480,000 concurrent viewers tuning in, smashing the record for the most-watched women's team performance in Counter-Strike history.
Expectations for the series were skewed heavily in favor of NAVI, the first-ever CS2 Major champions, with many predicting a one-sided affair. Instead, the 2024 Women's Team of the Year put on an impressive display, challenging NAVI and pushing them harder than anticipated.
Imperial fe Puts Up a Fierce Fight Against NAVI
The opening map, Ancient, showcased Imperial fe’s competitive edge. Starting on the T side of their map pick, they delivered a surprisingly dynamic performance, highlighted by standout fragging from Alexandra "twenty3" Timonina and Zainab "zAAz" Turkie.
SO CLOSE @ZainabTurkie #BLASTPremier @imperialesports pic.twitter.com/26qpz1BCk8
— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) January 16, 2025
Their coordination and strategy earned them a solid foundation, and they carried their momentum into the second half with a converted pistol round. However, NAVI's superior firepower eventually broke through, with Justinas "jL" Lekavicius and Ihor "w0nderful" Zhdanov stepping up to turn the tide and secure the map 13-7.
IN-GAME COMMS: A peak inside the TeamSpeak of @imperialesports during the attempted @ZainabTurkie clutch #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/IXPb1tGcTk
— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) January 16, 2025
On Mirage, NAVI's pick, Imperial fe showed similar resilience, delivering a respectable first-half performance. Especially Katarína "Kat" Vašková delivered some stellar shots.
THE CLUTCH QUEENS @torycs2 #BLASTPremier @imperialesports pic.twitter.com/NCC0pIqsag
— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) January 16, 2025
Yet again, NAVI's individual brilliance proved too much. This time, Valeriy "b1t" Vakhovskiy stole the show, posting a jaw-dropping 140 ADR and racking up 31 kills by the end of the map. Despite their valiant efforts, Imperial fe couldn’t sustain their early momentum, losing Mirage 13-8 and falling 0-2 in the series.
One of the few low points for Imperial fe was the underwhelming performance of Ana "ANa" Dumbravă, the 2024 Women’s Player of the Year, who managed only 15 kills across both maps. While her impact was limited, the overall performance of the team was a significant step forward for women’s CS, demonstrating that they can compete at the highest level.
After the match, jL shared his thoughts on Mark "ohnePixel" Zimmermann's stream, admitting he grew increasingly nervous during Ancient.
jL was surprised by Imperial's FE team pic.twitter.com/IYdE67TN65
— Ozzny (@Ozzny_CS2) January 16, 2025
He praised the Imperial fe roster, remarking on their unexpectedly high level of skill and aim.
If you still have doubts about IMPERIAL FE not belonging to the scene, you're just a hater.They made us sweat, they shoot very strong.Put some respect on their name, they made it here fair and square, give them a couple of years, more experience and they'll be a threat
— NAVI jL (@jLcsgo_) January 16, 2025
As the dust settles on this historic match, NAVI and other advancing teams await the conclusion of the remaining first-round matches to determine their next opponents. The BLAST Bounty tournament continues to provide thrilling moments, and this particular clash will undoubtedly be remembered as a milestone in Counter-Strike history.
They came to prove that girls can also play great Counter-Strike, and they certainly proved that!We'll be hoping we see you at another BLAST event soo, @imperialesports Fe #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/2Hq3axFd8Z
— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) January 16, 2025
Due to their high VRS ranking position, Imperial fe will also be attending IEM Katowice in a few weeks. It is safe to say that no team will take them easily anymore, after their performance against one of the best teams in the world.
For Imperial fe, their strong showing at this event is a powerful statement, signaling the potential of women's teams to rise in prominence within the global CS2 scene.