Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 is one of the largest CS2 tournaments, taking place in Shanghai from November 30 to December 15. It features 24 of the world's strongest teams competing for a substantial prize pool and the coveted title.

The match between FURIA and GamerLegion will take place as part of the Opening Stage, where the teams will face off in a Bo1 format. The outcome of this meeting will impact the further course of both teams in the group stage.

Current Team Form

FURIA

FURIA is showing decent form in S-tier tournaments. The team's average rating over the last month was 6.1, confirming their status as a strong contender. At IEM Rio 2024, the Brazilians confidently advanced from the group, defeating opponents like FaZe, MOUZ, and NAVI. However, in the semifinals, they were halted by MOUZ, leading to a 3-4 finish.

In the past month, FURIA won 4 out of 5 matches, including against Case, BOSS, 9z, and M80. The only loss was to Liquid. The team is known for either showing outstanding gameplay or making simple mistakes. Nevertheless, their victories over European giants indicate a high level that GamerLegion has yet to demonstrate.

GamerLegion

GamerLegion has not participated in S-tier tournaments over the past month, focusing on B-tier events like CCT Season 2 European Series 11-14, where they secured two runner-up finishes and won one tournament.

At RMR, their performance began poorly with two losses to ECLOT and Vitality, but they regrouped and won four consecutive matches, allowing them to advance to the Opening Stage. GamerLegion won 4 out of their last 5 matches, defeating BetBoom, SINNERS, Falcons, and UNiTY. The only loss occurred against ECLOT.

Team Map Pool

FURIA almost always bans Ancient, leaving their strong maps—Nuke, Dust II, and Anubis. The team has good records on Vertigo (70% win rate), Nuke (68%), and Inferno (67%), making their choice relatively predictable.

GamerLegion most often excludes Dust II but can adapt to the opponent's weaknesses by choosing Mirage, Anubis, or Ancient. However, Vertigo with a 58% win rate is also among their strong maps and could be an optimal choice if FURIA does not want to give away Nuke.

Thus, the most likely map will be Vertigo.

Match Prediction

Considering FURIA's current form and experience in S-tier tournaments, the Brazilians appear to be favorites in this encounter. Their victories over FaZe and NAVI at IEM Rio show that the team can perform at the highest level. GamerLegion, despite successful performances at B-tier tournaments and a good series at RMR, may face challenges against a team of this caliber.

The match will likely end in a victory for FURIA. However, if GamerLegion can capitalize on their opponent's instability, the game might become more intense.

Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 starts on November 30 and will last until December 15. The tournament will feature 24 teams vying for a total prize pool of $1,250,000. More details about the tournament can be viewed and followed via the link.