Today, Valve and Perfect World officially announced the seeding of the Shanghai Major in CS2. The 24 best teams in the world have learned their starting placements, setting the stage for early predictions regarding their chances. In this article, the CS.MONEY blog dives into the top contenders, dark horses and interesting storylines of the tournament.

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Which Eight Teams Will Directly Advance to the Preliminary Round?

Under the updated tournament rules, initial selection is based on two factors: a team’s position in Valve’s rankings and their region’s performance in previous Majors. RMR results no longer affect seeding, which especially impacts BIG — despite their 3-0 record in RMR, they will start from the opening stages.

As for the second stage, most of the favorites start their campaigns there. The following is a complete list of the eight top European teams that are seeded directly into the second phase:

• Born to Win
• MOUZ
• Team Vitality
• FaZe Clan
• Team Spirit
• G2 Esports
• HEROIC
• 3DMAX

CS2 Shanghai Top Favorites

The main favorite is Natus Vincere. The Ukrainian organization has established a stable system that does not rely heavily on superstar players. While skill is essential, their disciplined approach makes them a formidable team. MOUZ can be placed in the same category, although their wins were less significant than Na’Vi’s.

FaZe Clan, Team Vitality, and G2 Esports are also strong competitors. G2 had found solid form, and the pressure on them was lessening, as the Shanghai tournament served as a Last Dance for some players. While FaZe Clan and Vitality haven’t dominated recently, they’ve always been within reach of the trophy.

Team Spirit can still make things difficult for the top teams, thanks in large part to Donk, but his individual brilliance alone doesn’t seem to be enough for big wins. Meanwhile, HEROIC and 3DMAX have a similar situation to Spirit but don’t have standout players like Donk.

Who Will Play on the Opening Stage of the Shanghai Major?

Does this mean the remaining 16 teams have no chance of winning the trophy? Absolutely not. Among this squad there are several who could cause surprises.

The first is The MongolZ. This team has been competing in Tier-2 tournaments for a long time but has recently developed into a solid lineup that is at least capable of reaching the playoffs. Much will depend on their opponents: if the opposing team makes a mistake, The MongolZ will punish them severely. If not, the individual skills of the top teams could be a key factor in the match.

Teams from North America and Brazil also have the potential to provide surprises. FURIA’s performance in Shanghai is still uncertain, as their performances in recent Majors have not been good. Meanwhile, Team Liquid and Complexity have serious rosters, but their results are unpredictable — they can either succeed or fail spectacularly.

Regardless of the favorites and dark horses, over the next few weeks we will see thrilling Counter-Strike 2 from the best teams in the world. The first games start this Saturday, and we hope for an unforgettable tournament!