BLAST R6 Major Copenhagen Grand Final Preview: Liquid and w7m seek international redemption

_{Banner image: Ubisoft / Kiril B.}

Team Liquid and w7m esports will meet today at 2:45 CEST (-2 UTC) to crown the first Major winner since the arrival of BLAST to the Rainbow Six Siege scene.

Record

Here's the record between both teams since Apr. 2022 heading to today's grand final:

• Brasileirão 2022 Stage 1: Team Liquid 3-7 w7m esports
• Copa Elite Six 2022 Stage 1: Team Liquid 2-1 w7m esports
• Copa Elite Six 2022 Stage 1: Team Liquid 2-0 w7m esports
• Brasileirão 2022 Stage 2: Team Liquid 2-7 w7m esports
• Brasileirão 2022 Stage 3: Team Liquid 4-7 w7m esports
• Copa Elite Six 2022 Stage 3: Team Liquid 1-2 w7m esports
• Copa Elite Six 2022 Stage 3: Team Liquid 0-2 w7m esports
• Six Jönköping Major: Team Liquid 2-1 w7m esports
• Brasileirão 2022 Finals: Team Liquid 3-1 w7m esports
• BLAST R6 Major Copenhagen: Team Liquid 5-7 w7m esports

Overall, the record since Apr. 2022 between both teams is very balanced.

Team Liquid has only lost one series with three maps or more, a defeat that came at the Copa Elite Six 2022 Stage 3.

Team Liquid won the only BO5 match between both organizations, as they won the Brasileirão 2022 Finals.

Meanwhile, w7m esports have looked very strong at BO1 matches, with the Brazilians defeating the blue cavalry by 5-7 just a week ago.

Players

Despite Team Liquid's back-to-back defeats against w7m esports and G2 Esports, the blue cavalry survived to Phase 2 after defeating Wolves Esports and DarkZero Esports.

Gabriel "volpz" Fernandes' improvement during the tournament has been crucial. Before Liquid's clash against Wolves Esports, the Brazilian averaged a SiegeGG rating of 0.79 and held an entry balance of 7-13 (-6).

However, volpz's recent performances in Copenhagen, Denmark, have elevated Liquid's results. Now, following his performances against Wolves Esports, G2 Esports, and FaZe Clan, the 19-year-old tops the team's chart with a SiegeGG rating of 1.19 and an entry balance of 21-17 (+4).

Meanwhile, Gabriel "HerdsZ" Herdina has been w7m esports' best player with a SiegeGG rating of 1.23.

It's also worth mentioning Felipe "FelipoX" De Lucia and Lorenzo "Lagonis" Volpi, as both have the most clutches in the competition (5). Diego "Kheyze" Zanello  is close to both players with 4 clutches.

Storylines

Here are some of the most important storylines to follow today:

Volpz to meet former teammates

In his rookie season as a professional player for w7m esports, Gabriel "volpz" Fernandes competed at four different international events — reaching the Top 4 in three of them. Eventually, the 19-year-old accepted Team Liquid's offer and joined the blue cavalry to replace Gabriel "AsK" Santos.

Now, two months after changing his colors, Volpz is about to play at another international grand final, this time against his former teammates at w7m esports.

Two former Kids Team players in the server

To become a professional player in Rainbow Six Siege, you must be 18 years old or above.

However, back in 2020, Brazil's Liga Six was a great opportunity for the region's young talents that wanted to show off their skills. Being 16 years old was enough to compete.

Back then, Brazil's Liga Six included some participants that would eventually become professional players, including Gabriel "AsK" Santos, Gabriel "Maia" Maia, or the now Six Major champions of Juliano "Levy" Andrade, Eduardo "KDS" Chiste, and Caio "Neskin" Szazi.

Although all of these talents were spread across the league, there was a team that could currently put any team between a rock and a hard place — Kids Team.

Including Diogo "Fntzy" Lima, Thiago "Handyy" Ferreira, Felipe "nade" Ferreira, and Pablo "resetz" Oliveira, this team won the Liga Six after only competing in two of the three stages.

Unfortunately, despite topping the standings, some of the players weren't 18 yet, which prevented them from taking part in the Série B 2020.

Back in the BLAST R6 Major Copenhagen, three of the five Kids Team 2020 players reached the semi-finals in Copenhagen, as all Handyy (FaZe Clan), nade (w7m esports), and resetz (Team Liquid) were part of a roster that went down to the history of Siege's books.

Today, nade and resetz will face off in the BLAST R6 Major Copenhagen grand final as the winner will be the first former Kids Team player to win an international major competition.

Inevitable double international deception

While one of both teams is going to lift the trophy, the other will taste international defeat at a grand final for the second time in less than six months.

At the Six Invitational 2023, w7m esports won the upper bracket finals to become the first team to reach the grand finals. However, the Brazilian roster lost to G2 Esports and finished in second place.

Previously, in Nov. 2022, Team Liquid lost to Team BDS by 2-3 at the Six Jönköping Major grand final. Curiously, just a week later, the blue cavalry defeated w7m esports by 3-1 at the Brasileirão 2022 grand finals. It was the last and only time both squads met at a BO5 series.