Build your team using players from world No. 1 Natus Vincere or new additions to G2, Vitality, and Liquid in the latest Fantasy game.

Tier 1 Counter-Strike returns with the start of the BLAST Premier Spring Groups, where six out of the current top 10 are in action. With that, the competition for the best Fantasy manager is back too, as team creation is now open to HLTV users.

With Oleksandr "⁠s1mple⁠" Kostyliev, Mathieu "⁠ZywOo⁠" Herbaut, and Nikola "⁠NiKo⁠" Kovač being announced as the three best players of 2021 over the last weekend, that star trio will certainly be the first ones considered by Fantasy managers. However, their price tags in the range of $246,000 - $255,000 will dissuade many, especially as there are a number of exciting budget options in the game.

NAVI Junior prospect Ilya "⁠m0NESY⁠" Osipov found himself with an exorbitant price of $272,000 as he dominated the lower-tier competition over the past six months. Usually, such players would be discounted in Fantasy due to a low team ranking, but m0NESY's transfer to G2 served as a loophole — making him by far the most expensive player at BLAST.

On the other side of that equation are Liquid, who dropped to No. 223 in the world after player changes, making Keith "⁠NAF⁠" Markovic and Jonathan "⁠EliGE⁠" Jablonowski available for discount prices of $205,000 and $198,000, respectively. Even more budget-friendly are the likes of Nemanja "⁠nexa⁠" Isaković ($180,000) Michael "⁠Grim⁠" Wince ($175,000), and William "⁠RUSH⁠" Wierzba ($152,000).

It is also worth noting that Love "⁠phzy⁠" Smidebrant came in as a replacement for Nicolai "⁠device⁠" Reedtz, who extended his leave from Ninjas in Pyjamas's active lineup, and that debutants for their team such as Robin "⁠ropz⁠" Kool, Emil "⁠Magisk⁠" Reif, and Aleksi "⁠Aleksib⁠" Virolainen are also up for selection.

The BLAST Premier Spring Fantasy game will cover both weeks of action. In the first one, teams will play a quick-paced BO1 group which will set the gauntlet for the second week, where we will find out which six teams will secure spots at the Spring Finals.

Here are the prizes available for the HLTV x BitSkins league:

1. Huntsman Knife | Bright Water (Field-Tested)
2. M4A1-S | Printstream (Field-Tested)
3. Desert Eagle | Printstream (Field-Tested)

Please take note of the Fantasy rules before competing as they provide important information regarding the prizes, eligibility, and selection of winners. Fantasy is free of charge and can be played in official HLTV leagues, as well as independently organized private and public ones.

Start playing Fantasy by going to the Fantasy page here.