Shanghai Major 2024 presented CS2 fans with both incredible surprises and high-profile disappointments. Some players and teams exceeded all expectations and became the main discoveries of the tournament, while others - recognized favorites - did not live up to the expectations. In this article, we will look at the highlights of the tournament, highlighting both positive and negative aspects.
Disappointments: Natus Vincere
One of the biggest disappointments of Shanghai Major 2024 was the performance of Natus Vincere. The team was considered one of the tournament favorites, but their performance was far from expectations. Out of the five matches played, NAVI managed to win only two, and their defeats against Spirit and MIBR were particularly painful.
The team's key players, such as jL and b1t, also failed to show their best. The overall average rating of the team was 5.9, which is very low for such an organization. jL, which was one of the leaders in the previous competitions, this time failed to bring the necessary impact at crucial moments. Instead, b1t, who was expected to be stable, failed to live up to expectations both individually and in team situations.
This failure for NAVI has raised many questions about the further development of the team and possible changes in the composition before the next big events.
The surprise of the tournament: The MongolZ
One of the biggest surprises of Shanghai Major 2024 was The MongolZ's entry into the playoffs. The young team passed two stages of the tournament - Opening and Elimination - with a perfect score of 3:0, losing only one map against HEROIC in six matches. In both stages, The MongolZ players demonstrated a high individual level, regularly reaching the top of the statistics.
Although the team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, their performance was one of the highlights of the tournament. The MongolZ showed incredible progress and potential despite being one of the youngest teams in the championship. This result summarizes a great year of play for them, which has cemented their position as one of the most promising bands on the world stage.
Disappointment: Virtus.pro
Virtus.pro became one of the main disappointments of the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024, ending its performance at the Opening Stage with a 1-3 result. The team demonstrated extremely unstable play both at the team level and at the individual level. Virtus.pro's only victory came against Rare Atom, but it was not enough to advance.
The defeats against Wildcard and MIBR were especially painful, as they finally buried their hopes of reaching the next stage. The average team rating of 6.0 indicates a lack of confidence and proper preparation. After the elimination, the team immediately began to make changes - sniper Jame was sent to the bench, which was the first step in an attempt to reorganize the team.
Virtus.pro was expected to perform much better, given their experience and potential, but this time the team failed to live up to high expectations.
The surprise of the tournament: Ultimate
Liquid ultimate player Roland Tomkowiak was a real surprise at the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024. After a long period of unstable play, he managed to demonstrate excellent form at the most important tournament of the season. His individual performances were a key factor in the team's success, helping Liquid to reach the playoff stage.
The average ultimate rating at the tournament was 6.4, which is significantly higher than his recent performance. The Pole's best maps were Mirage and Ancient, where he not only showed high stability but also took important rounds for his team at critical moments. When Liquid's sniper dropped out at other tournaments, the team looked uncertain, but this time, Ultimate became the pillar on which the team's game was based.
Disappointment: jL
Justinas jL Lekavicius was one of the key disappointments at the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024. The player, who showed a consistently high level of play throughout the year, won several tournaments and even received MVP awards, this time failed to confirm his status as one of the best.
Despite his strong performance in previous tournaments, jL showed rather mediocre results at the Shanghai Major. His average rating for the tournament was 5.6, and the number of kills per round dropped to 0.54, which is extremely low for a sniper of his caliber.
Match statistics:
- The best map is Nuke vs Heroic (13-5), where he showed a 7.4 rating and scored 13 frags.
- The worst maps were Mirage vs Spirit (5.9) and Inferno vs MIBR (4.5). In these matches, jL was unable to influence the outcome.
The NAVI team he gave this year also had a bad tournament, finishing 2-3 in the early stages. Even against lower level teams like MIBR and HEROIC, Lekavicius and his team looked unconvincing.
jL, who was considered one of the most stable players in NAVI, failed to influence his team's play. This major was a hard blow for him, especially considering the high expectations from him as one of the best individual performers this season.
READ MORE: Best CS2 snipers at Shanghai Major 2024
The surprise of the tournament: FaZe Clan
FaZe Clan became the main surprise of the tournament when the team, which has been struggling with instability and weak individual play in recent months, managed to reach the final of the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024. In the Elimination Stage, FaZe barely made it out with a score of 3:2, which did not add confidence to fans and analysts. However, in the playoffs, the team demonstrated incredible fortitude and teamwork, beating G2 and Vitality on their way.
Robin “ropz” Kool became a real hero of FaZe Clan in the playoffs. The Estonian player “turned on the beast mode” and delivered incredible individual performance, especially in the decisive matches. His clutches, in particular in the final together with rain in a 2 vs. 4 situation, became key moments that will be remembered in the history of Counter-Strike 2. FaZe's results are impressive: the team fought to the last, even when most people had already lost faith in them. This is a true example of character, resilience, and dedication at the highest level.
The Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 was a tournament full of surprises and disappointments that once again proved the unpredictability of Counter-Strike 2. Young talents such as Team Spirit's donk and The MongolZ demonstrated that the new generation is ready to fight with the big boys of the scene. At the same time, the teams and players that were expected to do their best - NAVI, jL, and Virtus.pro - failed to cope with the pressure and disappointed their fans.
This tournament not only gave fans exciting matches, but also created new stories and heroes that will inspire the next generations of players. Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 has become an important milestone in the CS2 era, continuing the tradition of majors as the main source of unpredictable drama, surprises, and incredible moments that will remain in the memory of fans for a long time.
Comments