Having started the year winning IEM Katowice, one of the CS‘s most prestigious events, donk announced himself to their tier-1 scene, while he did not manage many trophies since then, his performances terrified every team.

Through a topsy-turvy year, donk made it abundantly clear that his performance at IEM Katowice was no fluke. donk continued to impress and improve and finally peaked at the Perfect World Shanghai Major. Despite starting poorly, Team Spirit managed to crawl their way to the playoffs. It was in the playoffs that donk came into his own and crushed everyone who came his way.

Crushing Team Liquid in the Quarter-Finals, MOUZ in the Semi-Finals, and Spirit faced FaZe Clan in the first. Suffice it to say that FaZe put up quite the performance but it wasn’t enough to keep donk at bay who averaged a rating of 1.67.

donk was the difference maker for Team Spirit which earned him his MVP title and his young age of 17 made it even more impressive. He now holds the record for the youngest player to win the Major in the history of Counter-Strike, a record previously held by Markus “Kjaerbye” Kjærbye.

Ironically, Kjaerbye, who won his major at the age of 18, was also the MVP. It was hard to imagine his record getting broken but 7 years from then donk has taken the title away from him with his stellar performance in Shanghai.

The post Donk Surpasses Kjaerbye to Become the Youngest Major Winner in CS History appeared first on TalkEsport.

VETO

• FaZe removed Vertigo
• Spirit removed Inferno
• FaZe picked Nuke
• Spirit picked Ancient
• Spirit removed Anubis
• FaZe removed Mirage
• Dust2 was left over

Map 1: Nuke; Picked: FaZe; Winner: Spirit

FaZe Clan’s pistol round win was quickly countered by a stellar donk double kill with the Deagle. This loss put FaZe on the back as Spirit went on to take the lead. FaZe kept fighting back, winning four more rounds in the first half, and getting closer to the scoreline as the first half concluded.

Spirit accelerated further with their lead winning the pistol round but the first gun round going the way of FaZe kept hopes for a comeback alive as FaZe Clan’s individuals failed to deliver impact, Spirit cruised their way to victory. Spirit did not let FaZe have the room to mount a comeback and closed the map with a 13-8 scoreline. magixx with a rating of 1.80 delivered to give Spirit the lead in the series.

Map 2: Ancient; Picked: Spirit; Winner: FaZe

FaZe having been able to brush off their earlier loss, got off to a stellar start on Ancient. Spirit managed to get back with a few rounds as magixx and donk were finding form late into the game but the FaZe Clan machine was able to tame the beast before things got out of hand.

Despite losing the pistol round, FaZe stabilized before Spirit could mount a comeback. Starting from the first gun round, the FaZe Clan put up a stellar T side as Spirit failed to find a single round as the Karrigan and co. cruised their way to victory. Ropz was by far the best player on the server, overshadowing Donk with 25 kills and a 1.89 IR.

Map 3: Dust 2; Picked: Decider; Winner: Spirit

donk’s 3K opened the map for Spirit and with that momentum, they sailed through FaZe Clan in the first half. karrigan failed to find a way through a Spirit defense firing on all cylinders as the CIS side went 8-1 up at one point. FaZe managed to bring a few rounds their way to close the half but Spirit looked formidable walking into the second half.

Spirit opened the second half with a pistol-round win and crushed any hopes for FaZe Clan expecting a comeback. Spirit’s T side bulldozed through the FaZe Clan’s defense. Spearheading the TS attack, donk replicated his performance from the previous half to completely stonewall FaZe Clan. FaZe started mounting a comeback as soon as Spirit hit series point. Round after round, ropz found a way to keep FaZe alive, along with the supporting cast of rain and frozen. FaZe almost pulled it off as they reached the final round of the map, as it where FaZe almost pushed it to the comeback but sh1ro beat broky in a 1v1 in the B site to close the deal. With an MVP performance along with magixx, donk reigned supreme with 30 kills which can be argued as the best individual performance of a Major.

FaZe Clan’s Cinderella run ends at the grand finals as they walk away with their heads held high. Team Spirit having come close previously, makes it to the final.

The post Team Spirit Wins Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 appeared first on TalkEsport.

While Team Spirit is generally regarded as the top favorite to win the Shanghai Major, FaZe Clan’s recent form and momentum cannot be ignored. Under the leadership of ropz, FaZe has the possibility of turning the tables against the odds and winning the Major title.

Ropz’s dominant performance against G2 was evident on both maps. He showcased his lurking skills on Ancient, racking up 22 kills, and continued his impressive form on Nuke, securing 28 kills to secure the series victory.

This Shanghai Major means a lot to the FaZe Clan. They have already suffered a disappointing defeat to NAVI in the PGL Copenhagen Major Grand Finals and had a very mediocre second half of 2024.

Meanwhile, the defeat of G2 Esports again reminded people of the elusive Major title of Nikola “NiKo” Kovač. One of the most talented players in Counter-Strike history, NiKo has yet to win that title.

The post FaZe Clan Defies Odds, Books Shanghai Major Grand Final Spot appeared first on TalkEsport.

VETO

• MOUZ removed Anubis
• Spirit removed Inferno
• MOUZ picked Nuke
• Spirit picked Ancient
• Spirit removed Vertigo
• MOUZ removed Dust2
• Mirage was left over

Map 1: Nuke; Picked: MOUZ; Winner: MOUZ

Having shown vulnerability on Nuke earlier, Spirit’s poor performances continued as MOUZ rolled over them. With tactical brilliance blended with individual quality, MOUZ could execute its game plan to perfection. Putting up a stellar T-side, MOUZ left little room for Spirit to start a comeback in the second half. MOUZ winning the second round pistol closed the doors for a win in Nuke for MOUZ. The highly experienced Brollan was the key piece for MOUZ to convert Nuke and go off to an early lead winning the map with a 13:7 scoreline.

Map 2: Ancient; Picked: Spirit; Winner: Spirit

Spirit brushed off their earlier loss to get off to a better start on the map. Spirit ran a well-drilled T side that did not allow MOUZ to get any shot in the game. Reversing their performance from the previous map, Spirit got donk and co. firing on all cylinders which put MOUZ on the backfoot walking to the match. The first half was enough to get Spirits fired up which reflected in their confidence walking into the second half of the game. Spirit did not let MOUZ have more than one round as they quickly shut MOUZ down with a 13-4 scoreline.

Map 3: Mirage; Picked: Decider; Winner: Spirit

With the series scoreline being even, both teams traded blows early on in the game. Neither team was able to put together a streak of a few rounds as the first half saw 6 rounds shared between them in Mirage which can be a balanced map depending on the style of the teams playing. Closing the first half with a stalemate, Spirit came into their own in the second half, starting off with a pistol round win, the Spirit T side picked MOUZ apart one by one as they only managed a single round before Spirit closed the map in dominant fashion to book a spot in the finals.

It is unlikely that this MOUZ side stays together given the interest of top teams in their players but they have shown real resilience reaching this point of the Major. For Spirit, with arguably the best player in the world, they are in the Grand Finals and a win tomorrow could silence their critiques and at the same time cement their legacy.

The post Spirit Advances to Perfect World Shanghai Major Grand Final appeared first on TalkEsport.

VETO

• FaZe removed Vertigo
• Vitality removed Ancient
• FaZe picked Nuke
• Vitality picked Mirage
• Vitality removed Inferno
• FaZe removed Dust2
• Anubis was left over

Map 1: Nuke; Picked: FaZe; Winner: Vitality

A blistering start for Vitality on Nuke saw them go 8-0 up before FaZe could find any solution. Vitality did not let FaZe have any opening kills early on in the game which let FaZe start their gameplan from a backfoot at all points. Going 8-4 up, Vitality continued their domination by winning the second pistol which almost closed the door for FaZe Clan who won two more rounds before Vitality closed the map with a 13-6 scoreline. flameZ and Spinx were instrumental figures while ZyWoo dissolved into the supporting cast.

Map 2: Mirage; Picked: Vitality; Winner: FaZe

Another good start for Vitality which met a rock-solid FaZe in the CT side of Mirage. FaZe got charge of the early on and managed to win 7 rounds on the T side, ensuring they had some cushion walking into the second half of the map. On the T side, FaZe performed their best, isolating ZyWoo on multiple occasions, FaZe made sure the stars of Vitality had little room to play in unison. karrigan called a near-perfect T side which got the better of Vitality as FaZe Clan pushed the series to the 3rd map.

Map 3: Anubis; Picked: Decider; Winner: FaZe

Vitality went 3-0 up off the back of a pistol-round victory, but FaZe took charge of the game on the CT side despite the map favoring the Ts. FaZe surprised everyone by defying expectations, which saw them go 7-5, putting Vitality behind as we walked into the second half. Winning the pistol, FaZe went 10-5 up before Vitality posted a round. By the time we reached the 19th round, FaZe was already on a series point. Vitality was able to stop FaZe more than once before they ended Vitality’s run in Shanghai and booked a spot in the semi-finals.

FaZe Clan has defined expectations to beat what many believe to be the best team in the world in Vitality. Their fairy tale run continues as G2 waits for them in the semi-finals where they will again walk in as an underdog but two teams with similar playstyles will give us a treat to enjoy.

The post FaZe Clan Wins Vital Match Against Vitality, Secures Semi-Final Spot appeared first on TalkEsport.

VETO

• HEROIC removed Inferno
• G2 removed Vertigo
• HEROIC picked Ancient
• G2 picked Nuke
• G2 removed Anubis
• HEROIC removed Dust2
• Mirage was left over

Map 1: Ancient; Picked: Heroic; Winner: Heroic

G2’s solid start on the CT side quickly met with a stellar Heroic offense that blew them away despite struggling to find footing early on in the map. With little effort, Heroic sailed past the G2 defense and we concluded with a 7-5 half despite NiKo dropping an 18-kil masterclass. G2’s offense proved to be worse as little by little they were picked apart and Heroic managed to outlast them in every single round despite them getting close every round. G2 managed to win one more round before Heroic obliterated them in the opening map with a 13-6 scoreline. NiKo and m0NESY were playing well but could not push it over the line for G2.

Map 2: Nuke; Picked: G2; Winner: G2

A slow start for G2 in their own map put them on the back foot once again but being on the T side of Nuke, G2 were able to squeeze in 5 rounds to make the game more competitive. Moving into the T side, Heroic pulled further ahead with a pistol victory but G2 got back on the board as soon as guns came out for them. Once the guns came out, G2 went on a tear as they went on to put up a streak of rounds which saw them win the map with ease. NiKo posted a 26-13 score at a rating of 2.09 which is a record, suffice it to say this performance made the difference for G2 to push the game to overtime.

Map 3: Mirage; Picked: Decider; Winner: G2

Mirage started off strong for Heroic as the Major seemed to be slipping from G2. Heroic found a way to keep NiKo from finding impact which opened up the space for Malbs, and allowed him to deliver a historic major performance. Letting their lead slip, G2 concluded the first half with a leveled scoreline and found themselves behind Heroic in the second half again. Individual mistakes in the second half kept both teams trading rounds. Despite Degster clutching a few rounds, G2 had malbs delivering multi-kill rounds and 1v3 on top of that in overtime which kept G2 in the game after the first half of OT. The second half saw G2 bring them an A game as a stellar CT side completely shut down Heroic as G2 booked their semi-final spot.

Despite a win, G2 faced a Heroic who were still in a nascent stage and individual performance is unlikely to save them against the teams they will face in the future and another performance like this might see them crash out of the Major. For now, they will face Vitality/FaZe for a spot in the finals.

The post G2 Beats Heroic in a Neck and Neck Battle appeared first on TalkEsport.

VETO

• Liquid removed Vertigo
• Spirit removed Inferno
• Liquid picked Anubis
• Spirit picked Dust2
• Spirit removed Nuke
• Liquid removed Mirage
• Ancient was left over

Map 1: Anubis; Picked: Liquid; Winner: Spirit

A good start for Team Liquid was shut down by a feisty Team Spirit who went toe to toe being on the CT side. Both teams traded blows and remained separable for most of the first half and individual heroics from donk and Ultimate kept both teams at a leveled scoreline. It is on the T side that Spirit pulled ahead as Liquid failed to find any way to keep Spirit at bay. Despite losing a few rounds, Spirit was mostly in charge of the momentum and eventually closed the game with a respectable scoreline of 13-9.

Map 2: Dust 2; Picked: Spirit; Winner: Liquid

Another solid start for Team Spirit which met little resistance from Liquid as they looked to run over them in the first half. Liquid was able to find its footing by the end of the first half and was able to shrink the gap between the two teams to a 7-5 half. Talking the early lead, Liquid lost to a force buy which gave Spirit the opening to reach the map point. Liquid started to mount a comeback but failed at the final hurdle after almost pulling it off. Spirit edged out the final map with a 13-11 scoreline and booked their place in the semi-finals against MOUZ.

Spirit edging out team Liquid will now have to square up against MOUZ for a spot in the Grand Finals on Sunday. While it was heroic effort, Liquid has shown the world that their latest line up has the potential to deliver at the biggest stage.

The post Spirit Reaches Perfect World Shaghai Major Semi-finals Beating Liquid appeared first on TalkEsport.

VETO

• The MongolZ removed Vertigo
• MOUZ removed Anubis
• The MongolZ picked Ancient
• MOUZ picked Nuke
• MOUZ removed Dust2
• The MongolZ removed Mirage
• Inferno was left over

Map 1: Ancient; Pick: MongolZ; Winner: MOUZ

A strong start on the T side in their own map pick put MongolZ in the driving seat as MOUZ’s hopes looked at him. Having failed to secure any opening kills early on, MOUZ could not hold a dynamic T side from MongolZ who frequently altered the pace making it hard for MOUZ to read. MOUZ got off to a better start on their offense, after a 9-3 half, they were able to replicate the same scoreline with MongolZ on the receiving end. Once MOUZ returned the favor, they kept their momentum in overtime and closed the game making an amazing comeback. MOUZ took the map with a 16:14 scoreline as Jimpphat and Brollan led by example with 1.26 and 1.23 IR respectively.

Map 2: Nuke; Pick: MOUZ; Winner: MOUZ

Another good start to the map by MongolZ saw them pull over MOUZ with a narrow lead in the first half. 910 on the defense proved himself to be an immovable rock that kept MOUZ at bay. Despite a strong hold from the Asian side, MOUZ managed to squeeze in 5 rounds which made the game competitive as we progressed further. Closing the first half with a 7-5 scoreline, MongolZ dropped the ball in the second half, winning 8 rounds and only letting MongolZ penetrate their defenses once. MongolZ’s T side fell flat as MOUZ on the stage became too much for them to handle. Jimpphat dropped a stellar performance once again to close the map with a 13-9 scoreline.

This victory puts MOUZ in the semi-finals of the Perfect World Shanghai Major but this marks the end of a stellar run from MongolZ who broke the record for the highest placement at a Major by any Asian team. MOUZ will play against the winner of Liquid vs Spirit, stay tuned.

The post MOUZ Eliminates The Mongolz from Shanghai Major 2024 appeared first on TalkEsport.

Our Predictions for the Shanghai Major Playoffs

There are only two teams who have gone undefeated in the Major so far however, we have picked neither as our champion. Despite losing their opening game to a poor performance, G2 has come into their own and smashed anyone who came their way to the playoffs. We expect them to get past Heroic with relative ease followed by which stands their toughest test in Vitality. If the stars of G2 in NiKo and m0NESY bring their A game, a ZyWoo masterclass might not be enough thus putting the former in the finals.

MongolZ are in a good place to put an end to MOUZ’s run in the Major who somehow landed a spot in the playoffs on the final day. Besides G2, MongolZ did not face the top 5 team in the Major and the playoffs match against Spirit who should get past Liquid might be their last match of the Major.

There is only one way a G2 v Spirit Grand Finals has gone historically and Donk is infamous for struggling against NiKo who has bested him on every single occasion. G2 can go toe to toe in terms of firepower combined with highly experienced individuals, they might just put an end to NiKo’s dreams of adding the elusive Major to his extended trophy cabinet.

The post Perfect World Shanghai CS2 Major Playoffs Pick’Em Predictions appeared first on TalkEsport.

We have witnessed it all, from crazy comebacks to intense overtime. The ones who managed to survive the tides of previous stages are in the playoffs. This article will discuss everything you need to know about the final few days of the Perfect World Shanghai CS2 Major.

Teams

• Vitality
• G2 Esports
• MOUZ
• Liquid
• Spirit
• The MongolZ
• FaZe Clan
• Heroic

Fixtures

The challenger stage has presented us with some intense match-ups and judging by how each team has performed, most of the matches can go either way. With no clear favorites, the matches will be a treat for the Counter-Strike community.

When to watch?

Note: The timings mentioned in the picture are in IST.

Where to Watch?

The organizers have outsourced the streaming rights to PGL. Anyone outside of China should be able to catch the matches live on the aforementioned timings on the official Twitch and YouTube channels of PGL.

Besides PGL, several well-known Streamers have secured the rights to stream the matches, refer to the individual match pages on HLTV if you are interested.

The post Perfect World Shanghai Major Playoffs: Teams, Fixtures and More appeared first on TalkEsport.