MOUZ, HEROIC and FaZe Clan have all secured their places in the playoffs at the Perfect World Shanghai Major after overcoming tough elimination-stage matches, sending their respective opponents home early in decisive series.
MOUZ’s journey to the top eight looked precarious early on.
The international Counter-Strike roster found themselves at 1-2 in the elimination stage, with tight losses to The MongolZ and FaZe putting them on the brink of elimination.
However, MOUZ rallied in the best-of-three format, defeating 3DMAX and MIBR to secure a playoff spot.
#ShanghaiMajor2024 Elimination Stage Day 4, 2-2 Bracket: MOUZ defeats MIBR 2-0 to advance to the playoffs with a 3-2 record. Meanwhile, MIBR, who started strong with a 2-0 record in the Swiss round, see their journey come to an end with a final 2-3 record.
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— CS_PerfectWorld (@CS_PerfectWorld) December 8, 2024
Their final match against MIBR proved to be a one-sided affair.
The series began on Mirage, a map where MIBR had been struggling with a 14% win rate heading into the match.
Despite flashes of brilliance from Felipe “insani” Yuji and Rafael “saffee” Costa on the counter-terrorist side, MIBR were unable to hold the line against MOUZ, who dominated with a 13-4 scoreline.
On Nuke, MOUZ continued their dominance.
Brollan, who had shown excellent form on Mirage, was instrumental in leading his team to an 11-1 lead in the first half.
Despite a brief rally from MIBR in the second half, MOUZ closed out the map 13-6 to seal their playoff spot.
HEROIC made a statement by eliminating reigning Major champions Natus Vincere in a thrilling series that went the full distance.
Having finished 2-0 on day one, HEROIC needed to overcome one of The MongolZ, Team Spirit, or Natus Vincere to make the playoffs, and they did so with style.
#ShanghaiMajor2024 Elimination Stage 2-2 Bracket: Heroic defeats NAVI 2-1, knocking out the defending champions.
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— CS_PerfectWorld (@CS_PerfectWorld) December 8, 2024
For NaVi, this loss marked the end of a disastrous group stage.
The team, which had been dominant in 2024, continued to falter in Shanghai, with a last-place finish at the BLAST Premier World Final proving to be a sign of deeper issues within the roster.
Despite a 2-0 start in the elimination stage, NaVi fell apart against both Spirit and HEROIC.
Mirage, traditionally one of Natus Vincere’s best maps, was where their downfall began.
HEROIC’s superior A and B executes left NaVi stunned, with b1t in particular struggling to make an impact.
The map ended 13-3 in favor of HEROIC, who then took control of Nuke in a 13-5 win, sending the defending champions packing.
In a twist of fate, it was on Ancient where NaVi seemed to get back on track, with Ihor “w0nderful” Zhdanov delivering an incredible quad-kill and clutching a 4v5 retake in the second round.
However, despite a heroic 4k from Mihai “iM” Ivan and a strong comeback effort, HEROIC’s resilience saw them close out the map 13-9, eliminating the reigning champions.
FaZe Clan was the final team to secure a playoff spot after a nail-biting three-map series against FURIA Esports.
The match had a dramatic shift in momentum, with FaZe initially looking poised for an easy victory after taking a commanding 12-2 lead on the decider map of Mirage.
#ShanghaiMajor2024 Elimination Stage 2-2 Bracket: FaZe defeat FURIA 2-1, securing their place at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center. GGs to the Brazilians as well—you truly earned the love of the crowd!
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— CS_PerfectWorld (@CS_PerfectWorld) December 8, 2024
However, FURIA mounted a stunning comeback, forcing the match to a tense 13-10 finish.
The series began on Inferno, where FaZe struggled out of the gate.
Despite a brilliant individual performance from David “frozen” Čerňanský, who pulled off an ace in the second round and a massive spray-down on B, FaZe couldn’t overcome FURIA’s solid economy.
The Brazilians ran away with the map 13-6, taking the series lead.
FaZe then responded on Dust2, where Håvard “rain” Nygaard’s masterful performance on the counter-terrorist side kept his team alive.
FaZe managed to gain control in the second half, including a clutch 2v5 on the A site, and closed out the map 13-9 to force the decider.
The final map, Mirage, saw FaZe take an early 12-2 lead, but FURIA fought tooth and nail to claw their way back into the game.
Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato’s 1v2 and Felipe “skullz” Medeiros’s astonishing 1v4 sparked hope for the Brazilians, but FaZe’s resilience, particularly from Robin “ropz” Kool and Finn “karrigan” Andersen, saw them close out the match 13-10 and secure their playoff spot.
With MOUZ and HEROIC advancing to the playoffs and FaZe narrowly securing their spot, the Perfect World Shanghai Major has seen its fair share of surprises.
MIBR, Natus Vincere, and FURIA all had their dreams dashed in the elimination stage, leaving the competition wide open as the tournament heads into its final phase.
The road to the Major crown continues, with these resilient teams looking to make their mark in Shanghai.
Shanghai Major playoffs teams
- The MongolZ
- MOUZ
- Team Liquid
- FaZe Clan
- HEROIC
- Team Spirit
- G2 Esports
- Team Vitality