Anyone can win it: Shanghai Major playoffs preview
It's Major playoff time, and we look set to have one of the most open and exciting playoffs in recent memory.
With no clear favourite and plenty of storylines heading into the final weekend of the second CS2 Major, there's a sense that anyone can win it, and we couldn't be more excited to see which team ends up lifting the trophy.
Let's take a look at the teams and the bracket.
The playoff contenders
The team many will be pinning as the favourites is Vitality.
The BLAST.tv Paris Major winners made light work of the Elimination Stage, and ZywOo looks determined to make a late claim for the player of the year award.
There may be some rumours about the future of their roster, but if there's any team in the world that can overcome these types of rumours, it's Vitality.
A team with incredible resilience and some of the most dangerous players in the world, it's no surprise why so many people are picking them to win it.
Photo: Stephanie LindgrenHowever, if you were to ask fans who they want to win the Major, we think it's a safe bet to say a lot of them would say The MongolZ.
The Mongolian team have been a joy to watch in 2024, and they've made history by going as far as they have done in this event.
Senzu is playing out of his mind, and the rest of the team are doing everything they can to provide him with ample reinforcement.
They may be the most inexperienced team out of the final eight, but that hasn't knocked them so far. They're hitting their peak at the perfect moment, and there's a good chance they could create some Major magic in China.
Photo: Michal KonkolAnother team with a lot of eyes on them is G2.
With this tournament being framed as their last dance with NiKo before he is expected to depart for Falcons, it could be his last chance to grab a Major with m0NESY or huNter-, and he's playing like it could be his last chance to grab a Major altogether.
Currently the third-highest rated player on a 1.35 rating, NiKo has been playing out of his mind in Shanghai, and when you factor in m0NESY's 1.33 rating, G2 have everything they need in order to repeat their trophy wins at BLAST Premier Fall and World Finals.
A win would also be huge for their IGL, Snax. If it was to happen, it would come ten years after his previous Major win at EMS One Katowice 2014.
Photo: Shaun LeeThe final big favourite is Spirit.
Spirit's players may have struggled at points so far during the Major, but donk is playing at his peak level, and he could've single-handedly dragged Spirit to the playoffs even if he was playing alongside four silvers.
That said, more recent games have been reassuring, and although donk is still far beyond everyone else at a 1.55 rating, sh1ro and zont1x being at 1.14 and 1.13 respectively is reassuring.
Their run so far has featured a 13-2 battering of NAVI and a win over one of the other teams in the playoffs, so there's a huge change that we're about to see Katowice-level Spirit once more.
Photo: Stephanie LindgrenNext up, we have the young squad of MOUZ.
One of the teams of the year, MOUZ have lifted a couple of trophies this year, but they are still yet to taste victory in a big arena setting.
Seemingly the final hurdle for this young team to overcome, MOUZ ascending to the level of true contender is not an if, but a when, and they may never have a better opportunity to do so than in this Major.
With a quarter-final clash against The MongolZ awaiting them, it's one of the few times where they will play an arena game as the experienced side, and that could give them the confidence to go all the way.
Photo: Stephanie LindgrenIf we're talking Major magic, then look no further than FaZe Clan.
A team that has time and time again proven to be one of the most resilient teams in the world, the second half of 2024 may not have gone how they would have hoped it would, but there's still time for them to write another chapter in their history.
Big arenas are FaZe's playground, and given that their veteran star rain has already had some big performances in this Major cycle, he's sure to cause a storm under the lights.
There may be little hope for FaZe from the fans, especially due to their tough quarter-final versus Vitality, but if any team can pull it off, it's FaZe.
Photo: Michal KonkolOutside of Vitality, the team that perhaps had the easiest run to the playoffs is Liquid.
They lost their opening game against NAVI, which set them on a path to the playoffs that featured GamerLegion, FURIA, and MIBR. Which, coincidentally, were also the teams Vitality beat.
Given that they don't have the gravitas of Vitality, Liquid now have a lot to prove in the playoffs, but they have an incredible chance to do so and reach a height never reached before by a Liquid roster.
It's an incredible story, given that Twistzz has still only recently become the IGL of the team and ultimate's inexperience, but it's what the two were signed to do, and doing so would be a remarkable achievement.
Photo: Stephanie LindgrenThe final playoff team is HEROIC, the team we think is the real dark horse for the event.
Back when Cloud9 won the Major at the ELEAGUE Boston Major 2018, they were in a very similar place to HEROIC. A team growing in stature, that growth has gone under the radar, and that could be HEROIC's biggest weapon.
Their win against NAVI and competitive level versus Spirit showed how good this team can be, and with NertZ playing at superstar levels, anything is possible.
Many will expect them to fall at the first hurdle in their quarter-final match against G2, but it's a game they could easily win, and that win could skyrocket them very deep into this tournament.
Photo: Stephanie LindgrenThe bracket
With the quarter-finals set to begin tomorrow, let's take a look at the playoff bracket.
Thursday's games:
- The MongolZ vs MOUZ - 07:00 CET - QF #1
- Liquid vs Spirit - 10:00 CET - QF #2
Friday's games:
- HEROIC vs G2 - 07:00 CET - QF #3
- FaZe vs Vitality - 10:00 CET - QF #4
Saturday's games:
- QF #1 winner vs QF #2 winner - 07:00 CET -SF #1
- QF #3 winner vs QF #4 winner - 10:00 CET - SF #2
Sunday's game:
- SF #1 winner vs SF #2 winner