Despite being favourites to qualify, FlyQuest’s path was anything but smooth, as they had to battle through a full lower bracket run.

The Australian Counter-Strike 2 squad narrowly edged out DRILLAS in the previous match, surviving multiple map points to secure a 2-1 victory.

Lynn Vision fell to FlyQuest 0-2, missing their chance at the #ShanghaiMajor2024. The Australian team avenged their earlier loss to Lynn Vision at Copenhagen Major RMR, securing their spot at the Shanghai Major. Congrats! pic.twitter.com/BXmYiRZcCe

— CS_PerfectWorld (@CS_PerfectWorld) November 13, 2024

However, their final clash with Lynn Vision proved to be a statement win, as the Aussies lost only 10 rounds over both maps.

For FlyQuest, who missed the Copenhagen Major earlier in 2024, this is a significant comeback.

In the Americas RMR, Wildcard and MIBR became the first teams to qualify for the Shanghai Major.

Wildcard delivered an impressive performance, defeating 9z Team 2-0.

Led by Peter “stanislaw” Jarguz, Wildcard’s run featured wins over top-ranked teams in Team Liquid and paiN Gaming.

In the Americas RMR 2-0 bracket, Wildcard defeated 9z with a 2-0 victory, securing the third spot at the #ShanghaiMajor2024. Congrats!

More moments: https://t.co/6QtugBbAKS pic.twitter.com/FwmJOKngec

— CS_PerfectWorld (@CS_PerfectWorld) November 13, 2024

Nuke was a nail-biter, with Wildcard rallying from a 5-11 deficit to win in overtime, while Inferno saw them take full control.

Wildcard’s qualification marks the Major debut for the organisation and stanislaw’s first appearance since 2021.

Joining them is MIBR, who also secured a Major spot after taking down Complexity 2-0.

MIBR triumphed on both Nuke and Vertigo, showcasing resilience and teamwork.

Notably, Felipe “insani” Yuji became emotional in the post-match interview, expressing gratitude to his teammates.

MIBR’s victory included standout performances from players like Rafael “saffee” Costa and André “drop” Abreu, who made crucial plays to keep the team’s Major dreams alive.

Complexity, 9z, paiN, M80, FURIA, and Liquid still have chances to qualify as the Americas RMR continues.

While there have been few unexpected eliminations thus far, the final rounds promise intense competition as teams vie for the remaining slots.

MIBR sweeps Complexity 2-0! The Brazilians are headed to #ShanghaiMajor2024—congratulations! pic.twitter.com/kDuXQ7kLIL

— CS_PerfectWorld (@CS_PerfectWorld) November 13, 2024

Thursday’s Americas RMR matches

• 9z Team ($2.75) vs paiN Gaming ($1.40) @ 12pm CST
• BOSS ($3.75) vs BESTIA ($1.25) @ 12pm CST
• Complexity ($1.40) vs M80 ($2.75) @ 3pm CST
• Imperial Esports ($1.08) vs KRU Esports ($7.00) @ 3pm CST
• Legacy ($1.83) vs RED Canids ($1.83) @ 6pm CST
• Team Liquid ($1.61) vs FURIA Esports ($2.20) @ 6pm CST

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Asia RMR

The MongolZ, as expected, were favourites to advance, and they did so in style, defeating Alter Ego and DRILLAS to qualify for their third consecutive Counter-Strike Major.

The MongolZ reverse sweep DRILLAS 2-1, becoming the first team to qualify for the 2024 Shanghai Major!#ShanghaiMajor2024 pic.twitter.com/ckAno9oD3l

— CS_PerfectWorld (@CS_PerfectWorld) November 12, 2024

Though they dropped a map to DRILLAS, they still lived up to their reputation as the team to beat, showing why they’re a top contender.

Rare Atom delivered an impressive performance to join The MongolZ in qualifying, especially as this Major is being held in China, marking a home-field advantage.

Their path through GR Gaming and TALON wasn’t the toughest, but they made the most of it, with standout performances from Andrew “kaze” Khong, who clutched a 1v3 on Vertigo to seal their 13-8 win.

Rare Atom’s victory also ensures a Chinese team will be present on the Shanghai stage, keeping local fans engaged.

Meanwhile, DRILLAS, the team backed by streamer ohnePixel, saw some surprising success, surviving the opening round with a win over Lynn Vision and taking a map from The MongolZ.

However, they fell in the upper bracket, setting up a crucial lower-bracket match against FlyQuest.

DRILLAS’ journey has been an entertaining storyline, especially with ohnePixel cheering them on.

TALON now faces Lynn Vision in the lower bracket semifinals, and the winner will face either FlyQuest or DRILLAS to fight for the last Major spot.

Chinese Team in the CN Major!
Congratulations to Rare Atom on qualifying!

The remaining teams in Asia RMR will now battle it out tomorrow for the final spot at the #ShanghaiMajor2024. Stay tuned! pic.twitter.com/3zu5WNCOta

— CS_PerfectWorld (@CS_PerfectWorld) November 12, 2024

Americas RMR

In the Americas RMR, both Team Liquid and FURIA Esports navigated early challenges.

Liquid bounced back from an opening loss to Wildcard with a dominant 13-2 win over KRü Esports, while FURIA recovered from a shaky start to beat Case Gaming.

Both teams remain in the 1-1 bracket, and fans will be watching closely to see if they can regain their form as the tournament progresses.

The real standout from the Americas RMR so far has been Wildcard.

With Aran “Sonic” Groesbeek and Peter “stanislaw” Jarguz leading the charge, Wildcard has pulled off impressive victories, including a 13-10 win over paiN Gaming and a comeback against Liquid.

With two wins under their belt, Wildcard only needs one more to secure a Major spot, with their next challenge against 9z Team.

9z, another underdog, has shown surprising strength, dominating RED Canids and Legacy.

With two wins, they join Wildcard, Complexity, and MIBR in the 2-0 bracket, meaning they’ll also have multiple chances to reach the Major.

Complexity and MIBR are holding strong in the 2-0 bracket after a nail-biting overtime win for Complexity and a solid showing from MIBR’s Raphael “exit” Lacerda and Rafael “saffee” Costa.

Meanwhile, teams like RED Canids, Nouns, Case, and KRü find themselves in elimination territory after failing to secure wins on day one, facing an uphill battle to stay in contention.

With multiple upsets, standout performances from lesser-known teams, and returning veterans, the PW Shanghai Major RMRs are shaping up to be an exciting lead-up to one of the most anticipated CS2 tournaments of the year.

Complexity 16: 12 Boss
M80 16: 13 RED Canids
MIBR 13: 9 Imperial
Liquid 13: 2 KRü

Check out today’s results for the Americas RMR
and tomorrow’s match schedule (GMT +8) – Stay tuned!#ShanghaiMajor2024 pic.twitter.com/cIJulTkT4E

— CS_PerfectWorld (@CS_PerfectWorld) November 12, 2024

Wednesday’s Shanghai Major RMR matches

• FlyQuest ($1.50) vs DRILLAS ($2.50) @ 12pm CST
• FURIA Esports ($1.16) vs BOSS ($4.50) @ 12pm CST
• Legacy ($2.10) vs M80 ($1.66) @ 12pm CST
• paiN Gaming ($1.66) vs Imperial Esports ($2.10) @ 1pm CST
• Team Liquid ($2.62) vs BESTIA ($3.40) @ 1pm CST
• KRU Esports ($1.50) vs Nouns ($1.44) @ 2pm CST
• Wildcard ($2.10) vs 9z ($1.66) @ 2pm CST
• Lynn Vision ($1.50) vs TALON ($2.50) @ 3pm CST
• Complexity ($1.53) vs MIBR ($2.37) @ 5pm CST
• RED Canids ($1.25) vs Case Esports ($3.75) @ 5pm CST
• FlyQuest/DRILLAS vs Lynn Vision/TALON @ 7pm CST

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FURIA Esports are one of the leading candidates to qualify for the Shanghai Major. They looked excellent at Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2024 last month, with wins against FaZe Clan, MOUZ, and Natus Vincere, although it is not uncommon to see FURIA have promising tournament runs only to fall apart shortly after.

Legacy have not accomplished anything nearly as impressive in top-tier events this season, and they did not make it very far in their most recent competitive endeavour at ESL Challenger Katowice 2024. However, Legacy showed a pulse at Thunderpick World Championship 2024 and know their opponents well.

Team Liquid had a rough run through Intel Extreme Masters Rio and BLAST Premier World Final 2024, going 1-4 across the two tournaments. North America’s No.1 side have since not played a match, but the long break might be what they needed to get back on track.

Despite Liquid’s shaky showings last month, they are the superior team in this contest. Wildcard are 0-3 down in the head-to-head standings, and their performances at ESL Challenger League Season 48 North America last month are reason enough to doubt their chances of winning on Tuesday.

Complexity are expected to cruise through the Perfect World Major Americas RMR, priced at $1.40 on the outright markets with the best Counter-Strike betting sites. But it is tough to make a strong case for a team who have played just three series since the start of October.

BESTIA have not been too active lately, but they performed well at Thunderpick World Championship 2024 two weeks ago, when they defeated M80 twice and added a competitive 1-2 loss against 3DMAX.

Complexity are rusty and one of the more inconsistent teams in the region. At the offered betting odds, BESTIA are an excellent outsider pick.

PaiN Gaming have proven their worth in the latter half of the 2024 season. They played competitive games against the world’s elite teams at Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2024 and added a semifinal run at ESL Challenger Katowice 2024 at the end of October.

Nouns Esports’ only accomplishments have come in C-Tier events. Their early exits from CCT Season 2 North American Series #3 and ESL Challenger League Season 48 North America are better indications of how they might do in the RMR.

Don’t expect any surprises on Tuesday. PaiN Gaming should roll over Nouns.

9z Team lost to RED Canids twice in May and June, but they are expected to do well on Tuesday. The Brazilians have had a chance to get ready by playing tougher opponents at IEM Rio 2024, Elisa Masters Espoo 2024, and Thunderpick World Championship 2024, although they went 1-6 over those three events.

RED Canids have not appeared in any top-tier tournaments since ESL Pro League Season 20 and have been inconsistent at ESL Challenger League Season 48 South America. However, they have picked up a few wins and are worth a look for this series at plus money.

Priced at $3.94 with esports bookmakers, BOSS might have some followers simply because they beat M80 once last month during ESL Challenger League Season 48 North America. But as M80’s 13-1 victory in the rematch suggests, that result was nothing more than a fluke.

M80 will not make the same mistake on Tuesday and let Ancient slip through the ban phase. That would leave BOSS with only Mirage, where they are not too effective.

MiBR will face off against KRU Esports for the first time since ESL Challenger League Season 48 South America in October, when they won with 13-11 on Ancient and 13-2 on Nuke. According to the latest betting odds, the Brazilian squad should be just as successful on Tuesday.

While MiBR have a higher ceiling than KRU, they are rusty, so it is hard to justify betting on them at this number. Take KRU at the round handicap.

This should be the most one-sided game of the opening round of the Perfect World Major Americas RMR, and the odds at GG Bet reflect that.

Imperial Esports have not looked the greatest in October, finishing fifth-sixth at ESL Challenger League Season 48 South America and fifth-eighth at Thunderpick World Championship 2024. But they have accomplished a lot more than Case Esports this season.

With a more experienced lineup and a substantially better win rate on all maps except for Ancient, Imperial Esports should stomp South America’s 13th-ranked team.

Esports betting tips

BIG placed second in the ESL Challenger at DreamHack Atlanta 2024 at the start of the month, securing their first podium finish of the season. It marked their most notable result since April, when the German squad reached the semifinals of Thunderpick World Championship 2024: European Series #1.

Aurora Gaming have also been making some noise lately, with a runner-up finish at YaLLa Compass Summer 2024 and two semifinal appearances at CCT Season 2 European Series #12 and Series #14. Even their most recent campaign at RES Regional Champions — which ended with two 1-2 losses against Fluxo and eventual champions Nemiga Gaming — was not terrible.

Johannes “tabseN” Wodarz and co. are priced as $1.40 favourites with the best Counter-Strike betting sites, which is a bit too short. Even though they’ve shown improvement, BIG have a substantially better win rate on just two maps: Vertigo and Anubis.

Considering Aurora regularly ban Vertigo, there is a good chance this series extends to three maps.

M80 flew through ESL Challenger League Season 48: North America with just two defeats before beating NRG 3-1 in the grand final. It was their Challenger League title in 2024, while they finished top eight at ESL Pro League Season 20 last month and fifth-sixth at the recent DreamHack Atlanta event.

BESTIA have not been as successful, as they missed their chance to secure an ESL Pro League Season 21 berth when they finished third in ESL Challenger League Season 48: South America. They are, however, 7-3 from their last 10 outings, with two defeats against RED Canids and one against MiBR.

At $1.45, M80 are justifiably given a 69% implied probability of winning the series. They have a better map win rate on four of seven maps and only slightly worse on Inferno and Mirage.

Even though BESTIA are in excellent form, this should be taken with a grain of salt, as most of their wins have come against lesser regional opponents. M80 should pose a more significant threat.

Esports betting tips

The tournament will feature 16 of the best Counter-Strike 2 teams from around the world, competing for the lion’s share of the US$1,000,000 total prize pool, which includes the US$150,000 that was on offer for each of the six qualifiers.

The event kicks off with an online stage from October 21-26, where teams will battle in a single-elimination best-of-three bracket.

The top four teams will then advance to the LAN finals in Berlin.

The LAN event will follow the same format, concluding with a third-place decider match.

Six teams have already qualified for the tournament: Cloud9 and BLEED Esports from Europe, Legacy and M80 from North America, and BESTIA and Imperial from South America.

They will be joined by 10 invited teams, with Team Falcons, Heroic, Fnatic, and BIG among the first announced.

This is the second edition of the Thunderpick World Championship, with FaZe Clan winning last year’s entirely online event and claiming the $250,000 top prize.

This year’s prize pool has increased, with $500,000 reserved for the winner.

After a break following the online stage, the LAN finals promise to deliver two days of intense CS2 action.

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After their records fell to 0-2, NRG, BESTIA, Nouns and Elevate were all eliminated, and they will have to wait a little longer for a Counter-Strike Major berth.

NRG is out of the RMR, while MIBR marches on after a decisive victory in their favor after overtime.

Up next, Nouns vs. Legacy face off in the next BO3 on Stream A. The action continues! #PGLRMR pic.twitter.com/cEbl1jXApG

— PGL (@pglesports) March 2, 2024

MIBR faced off against NRG in a showdown that saw MIBR asserting dominance from the get-go.

NRG’s choice of Inferno backfired as MIBR swept through them with ease, securing a convincing 13-2 victory.

Despite NRG’s efforts to rally on Anubis, MIBR ultimately triumphed 16-13, securing their spot in the next stage of the tournament.

BESTIA becomes the first team to exit the RMR after a 0-2 defeat at the hands of Wildcard

Wildcard gears up for another clash tomorrow.

Up next on Stream B: Elevate vs. ODDIK. #PGLRMR pic.twitter.com/4oUoAh02as

— PGL (@pglesports) March 2, 2024

Meanwhile, Wildcard clashed with BESTIA in a fierce battle on Mirage, with Wildcard emerging victorious with a 13-9 score line.

The tides turned even more in Wildcard’s favour on BESTIA’s pick of Anubis, with Wildcard clinching the win at 13-4.

Nouns are out of the RMR following their defeat against Legacy over 3 maps

Legacy moves forward, gearing up to battle tomorrow for another shot at attending the PGL CS2 Major Copenhagen 2024! #PGLRMR pic.twitter.com/g6DXHepyPa

— PGL (@pglesports) March 2, 2024

Legacy and ODDIK also had their moments of glory, with Legacy defeating Nouns 2-1 (9-13, 13-4, 13-7) and ODDIK surpassing Elevate 2-1 (13-11, 10-13, 13-10).

Legacy’s stellar performance on Overpass secured them a decisive victory over Nouns, while ODDIK, led by the impressive play of Jo?o “?matios?” Guedes, secured a hard-fought win over Elevate in a three-map series.

ODDIK eliminates Elevate after a fiercely contested series

They're set to return to the fray tomorrow for more action! #PGLRMR pic.twitter.com/E2vqY3sqB3

— PGL (@pglesports) March 2, 2024

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The move is BESTIA’s first roster change since the Argentinian organization joined Counter-Strike in February. The team entered the esports scene with the ex-Isurus core and had gone on to establish themselves as one of the best in their country and South America.

BESTIA notably won regional tournaments like the Champion of Champions Tour South America Series 7 but are yet to break into the international scene. The Paris Major Americas RMR provided them a chance to make an international impact; however, the team were eliminated.

After securing a win against Nouns, BESTIA were beaten out of the tournament following losses to MIBR and Fluxo. The team left with a 1-2 record.

?BIENVENIDO TOMASZIN!

Tenemos nueva BESTIA, y es @tomaszincs

Presentamos a nuestro lurker, que nos estará representando en este nuevo camino

?Te deseamos la mejor de las suertes!#SomosBESTIAS pic.twitter.com/4tFuFhhSZO

— BESTIA (@bestia_corp) May 26, 2023

Luken leaves BESTIA after only four months on the lineup. He joined them in February as the only player outside the ex-Isurus group and consistently put out great numbers. Luken recorded a 1.12 rating during his time with BESTIA.

Prior to his time with the team, the player was a part of 9z where he established himself as one of the best CS:GO players in the country. Alongside Martin “?rox?” Molina, Luken became the first Argentinian players to attend a Major when they joined 9z at the PGL Antwerp Major.

Despite his limited experience, Luken’s replacement, tomaszin, has shown himself to be a prodigy. He previously played with Boca Juniors, standing with the team on several iterations of the CCT South America Series.

tomaszin also played an important role in the squad’s local Gamergy 2023 championship. He has played 84 maps in total professionally and averaged a 1.12 rating this year.

BESTIA currently include tomaszin, Nicolás “?Noktse?” Dávila, Marcos “?deco?” Amato, Ignacio “?meyern?” Meyer, and Luciano “?luchov?” Herrera.

tomaszin will make his debut on BESTIA at the 1XPLORE Latin America Cup 1 during their match against ex-Corinthians Academy.

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Isurus made the announcement after disclosing that they would no longer field a CS:GO squad. This will be the first time in more than half a decade that the Argentinian team will be without a roster for CS:GO.

“After months of analysis and various evaluations, Isurus will pause its operations regarding CS:GO in 2023. We feel that the competitive CS:GO ecosystem is far from the objectives that Isurus has as an organization in the short term. We believe that it is the best decision at the moment, both for the players and for the club,” Isurus’ statement read.

The organization also expressed confidence that the CS:GO roster would continue to perform to the best of their ability.

“Regarding the roster, their continuity is already guaranteed and we are sure that they will continue to demonstrate their highest level,” Isurus added.

Ahead of BESTIA’s announcement, the squad participated in the South American qualifiers for IEM Brazil as ex-Isurus. They were, however, unable to move to the next phase of the tournament and ended in 9th-16th place. Isurus’ statement implies that the quintet will continue to play as a team, at least for a while.

The Argentinian organization’s CEO, Facundo “Kala” Calabró, further revealed that they would continue supporting the squad with gaming advice and management.

“When all parties work towards the same goal, the future is always hopeful, and being able to continue working on the project through sports advice and management is extremely gratifying,” he said.

BESTIA was founded by Argentina poker player and rapper Alejandro Andrés “Papo” Lococo. During a Twitch broadcast after Isurus’ announcement, Papo disclosed that the acquisition was not planned, but he took the opportunity when he discovered that the roster was dissolving.

“I spoke with mvk and pino, I spoke with Kala from Isurus when I found out that their CS:GO roster was dissolving and the opportunity presented to me to create my own dream team. Starting from today, from this very moment, BESTIA is competing in CS:GO,” Papo said.

The move allowed BESTIA to acquire Nicolás “?Noktse?” Dávila, Ignacio “?meyern?” Meyer, ?Luken?, Marcos “?deco?”Amato, and Luciano “?luchov?” Herrera. The players, under BESTIA’s banner, will participate in the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023’s South American qualifier circuit. The event’s first set of open qualifiers kicked off on February 14.

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