CS2 Shanghai Major Playoffs Day 1 – Who Will Secure Top 4?

After a six-day intermission between the Elimination Stage, the Shanghai Major 2024 Playoffs is finally upon us. We started with 24, and the grueling journey brought us down to 8 of the best teams in the tournament. The first day of the Playoffs promises intense action with two Best of 3 Quarter Final matchups, so let’s get you up to speed in case you haven’t been watching.

The MongolZ vs. MOUZ

Starting the Playoffs will be an absolute banger of a matchup already. Two young teams are looking to prove themselves on the big stage, but one will be cut short early. 

The MongolZ have made quite a buzz at the Shanghai Major with their flawless run throughout the event, only dropping two maps since they set foot in China. It is hard to question their current form, as all members of the team are shooting heads. Despite having the home crowd advantage, we must remember that The MongolZ is the most inexperienced team in the Top 8, and they have never played on such a big stage as this one. 

On the other side, we have MOUZ, a team that is no stranger to playing high-stakes Counter-Strike, and they have certainly made dozens of deep runs in big tournaments already. Though the boys in red came into Shanghai as a Top 5 team, their current form suggests otherwise, as they have barely squeezed into the Top 8. Still, I’m sure they have figured something out in the past few days that will gear them up for this series. 

Though most fans would lean towards The MongolZ in this series, I don’t think recency bias is the best way to go with it. Playing on a Major stage will definitely kick into the nerves, and I’m worried that the pressure might be too much for the young prospects of mzinho and Senzu. I believe this will be a very close series, but I will lean towards MOUZ, and I have them to win on my Pick ‘Ems, too. 

Team Spirit vs. Team Liquid

The second series of the day will take us to a match between Team Spirit and Team Liquid. 

Donk has fallen behind in the race to the Top 1 in the past few months, but he wants his name back in the argument. The 17-year-old is the highest-rated player in the Elimination Stage with an average 1.55 rating across six maps. Though donk may be the main icon of the Spirit squad, the supporting cast is also putting in work, and the result is a fierce roster that has displayed the potential to go all the way to the Grand Final. 

Though I am a Team Liquid fan, I must admit that they’ve had the easiest run to the Top 8. The North American squad faced a tight loss against NAVI and won three consecutive matches against GamerLegion, FURIA, and MIBR to join the ranks of the best. It’s not like they can select which opponents to play against, but I’m just not too convinced, considering all of these matches were relatively close. 

I think ultimate is the largest question mark in this series. He is known to be quite an inconsistent factor, and this being his first Major could be setting up for an underperformance from the Pole. Though Liquid definitely has a chance to deal some damage, I think it’s Team Spirit’s game to lose.