The road to the PW Shanghai Major 2024 has just been as exciting as many could have fathomed, as Day Two of both Asia and Americas Regional Major Rankings comes to an end. Already, two powerhouses have punched their tickets to one of CS2’s majors, namely The MongolZ and Rare Atom. Surprises and stand-out performances on the move day in and out shape the narrative going into this highly-anticipated Major.
The MongolZ entered the Asia RMR as crystal clear favorites and never left that image. After briefly stumbling by dropping a map against DRILLAS, the team locked in its third straight Major appearance with victories over Alter Ego and DRILLAS to cement their place as one of the forces to be taken seriously in the Asian CS2 scene.
Amongst those who have made the cut, the qualification of Rare Atom is a really heartwarming story in this tournament. Sailing through the relatively smooth path against GR and TALON, the team ensured a place in the Major which is hosted in their home country. It will be a return to major competition after five years for the veteran player kaze, adding an emotional dimension to the journey of Rare Atom.
Americas RMR: Liquid and FURIA Suffer Early Hiccups
In the Americas RMR, the favorites Liquid and FURIA are in the 1:1 bracket-a sure sign of a rough start. Liquid managed to recover from their stunning opening loss to Wildcard with a convincing 13:2 victory against KRÜ but are still questioned over their consistency. FURIA also recovered from an overtime loss to Legacy with a convincing win against Case and kept their hopes for the Major alive.
Wildcard’s Cinderella story is one of the main talking points from the Americas RMR. Supported by streamer Amouranth, and with players like Sonic and stanislaw in their ranks, the team first upset Liquid in a thrilling overtime battle, then dispatched paiN Gaming as well. Now in the 2:0 bracket, Wildcard finds themselves just one win away from attending their first Major ever, but they have 9z to contend with.
DRILLAS Keep the Dream Alive in Asia RMR
Streamer without Pixel’s team DRILLAS also remains in contention as they have had surprisingly good performances so far. After edging past Lynn Vision and putting up a spirited fight against The MongolZ, DRILLAS is now set to face FlyQuest in the Lower Bracket. The Australian squad is a formidable opponent, but a win could position DRILLAS for a Cinderella qualification story.
The risk moves forward as the RMRs do. All eyes are on the favorites, who have to prove themselves, while the underdogs, such as Wildcard and DRILLAS, fight for their lives. The number of rounds remaining is small, so one may expect heavy battles in some historical upsets during the next few days.
The PW Shanghai Major 2024 RMRs have already provided a slew of gripping storylines from The MongolZ and Rare Atom’s solid qualifications to the turbulent journeys of Liquid and FURIA. As the competition intensifies, the race to claim a spot in one of the year’s biggest CS2 events is wide open, promising more surprises and unforgettable moments.
