The Good, Bad, and Ugly: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage

As a dedicated esports enthusiast with years of gaming under my belt, I must say that the Elimination Stage at the CS2 Perfect World Shanghai Major was nothing short of thrilling! The unexpected victories and heartbreaking losses made every match worth watching.

Eight teams remain in the fight for the Shanghai crown, but first, let’s look back.

The Elimination Stage at the CS2 Perfect World Shanghai Major was incredibly exciting last week. Top contenders faced setbacks, lesser-known teams proved their worth, and ultimately, eight teams qualified for this week’s playoff competition.

Let’s revisit some highs, lows, and cringe-worthy moments from the Elimination Stage of the Shanghai Major.

The Good: Wildcard’s valiant run through Shanghai

In the initial episode of Good, Bad, Ugly, we showcased the resurgence of Brazilian CS teams as paiN, FURIA, and MIBR all advanced to the next stage. Additionally, we acknowledged the local favorites, The MongolZ, who continued their winning streak with a 3-0 victory, guaranteeing them a place in the playoffs.

We didn’t discuss the team members who performed miracles in Passion UA and Wildcard, with Wildcard managing to qualify for the Elimination Stage despite being an underdog from North America, not typically expected to perform well against the competition level at a Major tournament.

But triumph, they did — no matter what the scoreboard says now.

Peter “Stanislaw” Jarguz’s comeback to professional Counter-Strike wasn’t immediately successful until Wildcard recruited the Swedish duo of Tim “Susp” Angstrom and Love “Phzy” Smidebrant. This marked a turning point, as the team went on to establish a notable record at home.

During ESL Pro League Season 20, their initial significant test featured a victory against KOI, but experts were skeptical that the project would achieve anything beyond perhaps securing a spot at the major through the Americas RMR. However, they surpassed expectations; not only did they eliminate Liquid, paiN, and 9z in the RMR, but they also beat VP and Fnatic on their journey to the Elimination Stage.

In the end, Wildcard didn’t manage to keep the good times rolling; instead, they faced defeat with scores of 0-3 against FaZe, Spirit, and GamerLegion. Despite this, they put up a strong fight until the very end. The fact that two teams they defeated proceeded to qualify for the playoffs is a testament to their impressive run in China.

We’ll be watching Wildcard with great interest as the 2025 season kicks off, that’s for sure!

The Bad: Natus Vincere implosion marks end of an era

It seems that the reign of the top team from 2024, once uncontested, could be coming to an end. They were knocked out during the Elimination Round last week.

People assumed the team’s defeat in Singapore during the BLAST World Finals was merely a temporary setback: they were saving strategies for the grand event in Shanghai. Yet, their elimination by HEROIC dashed hopes of a strong and consistent season marked by numerous significant victories and playoff appearances.

separately, some well-known players struggled in their performances. Justinas “jL” Lekavicius is at risk of slipping from the top five in the year-end HLTV rankings, scoring a disappointing 0.90 rating during the Elimination Stage. Mihai “iM” Ivan was the exception, consistently appearing on the server, but for a team that thrives on collective effort, they fell short at the major tournament level.

What’s next for Na’Vi? Despite a nearly flawless year in Counter-Strike, they might consider roster adjustments as the traditional post-season personnel shifts draw near. But who could potentially join them? On a less positive note, it’s the contract renewal season for Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev and he won’t be moving to Falcons.

Will they disrupt the positive atmosphere and shatter the unyielding foundation, or will Na’Vi regain their stride in the upcoming year following a rejuvenating hiatus? It seems like the break might be exactly what they needed.

The Ugly: BIG

In simpler terms, it was challenging to choose the less appealing team during the Exciting and Competitive Elimination Round, but we’ve chosen BIG. The team didn’t perform as well as anticipated after the Initial Stage, and a 0-3 defeat isn’t satisfactory.

In summary, playing 12 rounds in the initial Best-of-Ones against HEROIC and G2 didn’t seem to improve their situation, suggesting that the German team might have exhausted their energy following a demanding Opening Stage, which included a challenging 2-2 game versus Complexity.

However, an error-filled Best of 3 defeat at the hands of paiN left a bitter aftertaste that lingers strongly. This disappointing slide was particularly pronounced for Karim “Krimbo” Moussa; the 22-year-old had been one of the world’s best performers over the past few months, but his skills noticeably declined during the Elimination Stage.

Even without another player filling in for him, Team BIG seemed unable to extricate themselves from their slump. Their elimination stage loss marked a forgettable 2024 season that included five top-tier offline tournaments—none of which they managed to advance beyond the preliminary rounds.

As a gamer, I can’t definitively predict any roster changes, but it seems like a break during December and January could be beneficial for us, similar to how Na’Vi rejuvenates. We might need that time off to regroup and come back stronger for the next season.

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2024-12-09 17:41