Anything can happen on the world’s biggest Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) stage. Underdogs can emerge as victors, favorites can stumble, and even the most stoic IGLs can make the wrong calls. Some will rise to the occasion and pull off the best plays of their career, and others will buckle under pressure. That’s what makes the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 so incredibly exciting!
Join us in the hype as we explain everything fans need to know about the Shanghai Major, including the tournament format, schedule, teams competing, and how you can enjoy the S-Tier esports action. We also compiled our staff’s expert betting predictions.
Check out the latest Counter-Strike 2 odds and visit the Thunderpick Blog for more betting tips.
Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024
Shanghai Major 2024 Schedule & Format
The Perfect World Shanghai Major features three stages of competition, and it kicks off with the Opening Stage from Nov. 30 to Dec. 3. During this first round, 16 teams will compete in a Swiss System format, where Advancement and Elimination matches are BO3, and all other matches are BO1. The top eight teams advance to the Elimination Stage, while the bottom eight exit the competition.
The top eight teams from the Opening Stage will join another eight in the Elimination Stage, running from Dec. 5 to 8. This stage follows the same format as the first, with the top eight teams qualifying for the Playoffs Stage while the rest are sent home.
From Dec. 12 to 15, the excitement really ramps up as the eight remaining teams compete in the Playoff Stage. There’s no room for error in this single-elimination bracket, where all matches, including the finals, are BO3.
All three stages will take place on LAN in front of a live crowd, where the pressure is at its peak. The Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center will host the Opening Stage, while the Playoffs will be held at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center.
Prize Pool Breakdown
The tournament has a huge prize pool of $1,250,000, and you can see a breakdown of the winnings below.
- 1st place: $500,000
- 2nd place: $170,000
- 3rd/4th place: $80,000
- 5th-8th place: $45,000
- 9th-16th place: $20,000
- 17th-24th place: $10,000
As shown in the prize pool distribution above, every team goes home with some cash.
How To Watch Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024
Most fans can’t travel to China to watch the Shanghai Major, but at Thunderpick, we provide a worthy alternative! Navigate to our CS2 betting section, click the “Live” tab, and select the camera icon next to any Perfect World Shanghai Major match. An embedded live stream will appear with our bet slip to the right-hand side, so you can place in-play bets while enjoying the spectacle.
You can also watch via the PGL_CS2 Twitch and PGL YouTube channels.
Learn how to bet with crypto at Thunderpick!
Teams Competing In Shanghai Major 2024
Twenty-four teams made it through the RMR events to compete at the Perfect World Shanghai Major. Based on Valve’s Ranking system, eight of these teams have qualified directly for the Elimination Stage, while the rest are all starting in the Opening Stage.
You can find the Opening Stage and Elimination Stage teams below.
Opening Stage teams:
- FURIA Esports
- Virtus.pro
- Team Liquid
- Complexity Gaming
- BIG
- fnatic
- The MongolZ
- paiN Gaming
- GamerLegion
- MIBR
- Cloud9
- FlyQuest
- Passion UA
- Wildcard Gaming
- Rare Atom
- Imperial Esports
Elimination Stage teams:
Teams are sorted according to their official seeding for the event, which is based on Valve’s global ranking system and regional performance at the PGL Copenhagen Major. That’s why you’ll see that all eight teams that directly qualified for the Elimination Stage are from Europe.
Our Predictions For Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024
For our Shanghai Major betting predictions, we’ve chosen teams that directly qualified for the Elimination Stage. Our top four picks are outlined below, alongside the full rosters and reasons why we think these teams will rise above the rest in China.
Please note: Our predictions consider the latest HLTV rankings, Valve rankings, roster changes and additions, matchup history, stats, current team/player form, and a healthy dose of the author’s expert opinion. Past performance does not guarantee future outcomes. Do not interpret this analysis as betting advice to act upon. Always gamble responsibly.
1. NAVI
Undoubtedly, NAVI is among the best teams heading into the Shanghai Major. First off, the PGL Copenhagen Major-winning roster hasn’t changed. While you can argue that the BLAST Premier World Final showed NAVI is beatable, the squad has consistently made it to the Finals of S-Tier events throughout 2024, adding four big trophies to their cabinet.
We think they’ll have a solid claim to the throne based on two key elements: if jL can pull off the same performance that earned him the MVP award at the PGL Copenhagen Major, and if Aleksib delivers the incredible in-game calls he is so famous for.
NAVI roster:
- Justinas “jL” Lekavičius
- Valerij “b1t” Vakhovsjkyj
- Mihai “iM” Ivan
- Ihor “w0nderful” Zhdanov
- Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen (IGL)
- Andrij “B1ad3” Ghorodensjkyj (Coach)
2. Team Spirit
As the champions of IEM Katowice 2024, BLAST Spring Final 2024, and the BetBoom Dacha Belgrade 2024 #2, Team Spirit competes in the upper echelons of S-Tier CS2 and consistently finishes in the top four.
Some question marks surround the form of a couple of players, including zont1x and magixx. However, Team Spirit does boast the firepower of donk, considered on par with NiKo as one of the best riflers in the world. Plus, they have the ever-intimidating sh1ro wielding the AWP.
If we see an on-form Team Spirit at the Shanghai Major, they have the talent to make it to the finals—and maybe even lift the trophy.
Team Spirit roster:
- Danil “donk” Kryshkovets
- Dmitriy “sh1ro” Sokolov
- Boris “magixx” Vorobyev
- Myroslav “zont1x” Plakhotja
- Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov (IGL)
- Sergey “hally” Shavayev (Coach)
3. G2 Esports
G2 Esports ranks 1st globally on Valve’s leaderboards and 2nd on HLTV’s rankings. They’re also hot off their win at the BLAST Premier World Final 2024, so we’d be shocked if G2 Esports didn’t earn a podium finish.
Odds and current form indicate they are one of the favorites to win, so why didn’t we put them 1st or 2nd? Well, a shadow hangs over G2 Esports’ current roster, with credible rumors and hints from the organization that the Shanghai Major may be NiKo’s final event with the team.
Will this “last dance” be a celebration of all the squad has achieved or will NiKo’s likely move to Team Falcons hurt the squad’s performance? We can’t wait to find out.
G2 Esports roster:
- Nikola “NiKo” Kovač
- Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov
- Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa
- Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač
- Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski (IGL)
- Wiktor “TaZ” Wojtas (Coach)
4. HEROIC
Consider a top-four finish from HEROIC as our bold prediction. The team is 8th on Valve’s leaderboards and 7th on HLTV’s latest rankings, but they may pull off some upsets at the Shanghai Major, even against the top three squads.
The HEROIC lineup has shown excellent form at recent tournaments, including a second-place finish at the Thunderpick World Championship 2024. The squad showed they could beat the best teams in the world at IEM Rio 2024, smashing Team Vitality and Astralis before narrowly losing to a reverse sweep from NAVI in a Semifinal match, giving us confidence in their abilities.
- Rasmus “sjuush” Beck
- René “TeSeS” Madsen
- Guy “NertZ” Iluz
- Abdulkhalik “degster” Gasanov
- Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski (IGL)
- Eetu “sAw” Saha (Coach)
Honorable mentions go out to Team Vitality, FaZe Clan, MOUZ, Team Liquid, 3DMAX, BIG, and The Mongolz, who narrowly missed the cut. It will be interesting to see how the teams from the APAC RMR do in front of a home crowd, especially The Mongolz. They won the Thunderpick World Championship 2024, showing fans across the globe that they’re a true force in CS2.
In case you missed it: Top 10 Moments of the Thunderpick World Championship 2024
Who Do You Think Will Win?
We’ve shared our predictions for the event, but what about yours? Will one of the four teams we highlighted win it all or could an underdog come through and shock the crowd? As we mentioned earlier, anything is possible on big stages like this, especially when the best squads in the world compete against each other.
Remember to visit our CS2 betting page to watch and bet on the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024!
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