This marks the return of the Ukrainian Counter-Strike superstar, who last appeared in a match in March when he stood in for the Falcons at BLAST Premier Spring Showdown 2024.
That was also s1mple’s first and only professional fixture on Counter-Strike 2.
Time to be back at LAN, that’s was my goal from the very beginning – to play the Shanghai Major! I’m very glad that we will have official games before we fix the mistakes and play the main tournament of this year! Thank you for opportunity both @TeamFalconsGG and @natusvincere… https://t.co/PUEFjEPK2T
— Sasha (@s1mpleO) September 27, 2024
S1mple’s arrival comes amid a rough period for the Falcons, who have been struggling to make noise in the upper echelons of the Counter-Strike esports scene.
Their struggles, however, reached a new low earlier this month.
S1mple to the Rescue
Since the turn of the year, Team Falcons’s most notable accomplishments were two semifinal appearances at Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2024 in February and BetBoom Dacha Belgrade 2024 #1 in May.
More recently, Danny “zonic” S?rensen’s men crashed out of ESL Pro League Season 20 in 21st-28th and BLAST Premier Fall Final 2024 in last place.
After the abysmal showing in Copenhagen, zonic talked about how the team needs to make some roster changes to find more stability.
And it did not take long for the changes to come into effect.
The 26-year-old replaces álvaro “SunPayus” García, who got benched from the starting five nine months after joining Team Falcons from ENCE.
!THE LEGEND RETURNS
S1mple is back on a 3-month loan
Time to soar higher
???????? @s1mpleO ???? ????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ??? ???? ???????!
#FalconsAreHere pic.twitter.com/ZafLO1YXqF
— Falcons Esports (@FalconsEsport) September 27, 2024
SunPayus’s benching comes as a bit of a shock, as the Spanish AWPer had been the team’s highest-rated player, averaging a 1.13 performance rating during his stint.
Despite his strong showings, SunPayus later commented that the roster did not click and they agreed some change was needed.
“We tried everything to make this work but it just didn’t click as a team, it was really tough for everyone and a change was needed, wishing the best for my teammates. For me, will keep grinding and doing what I love to refind myself in the game,” said SunPayus.
S1mple will debut for Team Falcons at Thunderpick World Championship 2024, which kicks off on October 21.
The tournament will feature 16 Counter-Strike teams, including BIG, Fnatic, and HEROIC, who, alongside Team Falcons, received direct invites.
Counter-Strike betting sites have yet to release outright markets for Thunderpick World Championship 2024; however, those will become available after the tournament organisers hand out the final six invitations for the event.
Team Falcons’ biggest challenge, however, will come in November, then s1mple and co. attend Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024: European RMRs, where they will vie for a spot at the second Counter-Strike 2 Major.
]]>
The 26-year-old German Counter-Strike player has been inactive since being benched in July 2024 in favor of Nemanja “nexa” Isakovi?.
FaveN, who joined BLEED Esports as a founding member in December 2023, last played for the team during the CCT Season 2 European Series #5, where they finished in the fifth-eighth spot. Since then, he has not featured in any official matches.
FaveN enjoyed some initial success under the BLEED Esports banner, regularly posting positive ratings and helping the team secure a podium finish at RES European Series #1 in March. However, a dip in form in June led to his benching in favor of nexa, who was subsequently also benched in September.
In a, X post, faveN expressed his openness to joining a CIS team, highlighting his fluency in Russian, though he has yet to announce his future plans in the Counter-Strike scene.
Bleed esports seeking two more players
FaveN’s departure leaves BLEED Esports two players short of a full roster. The Singapore-based esports team has been in a state of flux, benching three players this month alone. In-game leader Hampus “hampus” Poser left the team two weeks ago, while nexa was removed from the active roster on September 18. Most recently, Tim “nawwk” Jonasson was loaned to Fnatic, where he has already made his debut at the YaLLa Compass Summer 2024.
Currently, BLEED Esports are down to just three active players: Cai “CYPHER” Watson, Vladan “VLDN” Radevi?, and Joakim “jkaem” Myrbostad. Head coach Aleksandar “kassad” Trifunovi? now faces the challenge of rebuilding the lineup before BLEED’s next major competition, the RES Regional Champions, starting on October 16, 2024.
Later in the month, BLEED will also compete in the Thunderpick World Championship 2024, where they will vie for a share of the $850,000 prize pool and their first S-Tier title.
]]>
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.
]]>
Building on the success of the 2023 edition, which saw FaZe Clan emerge victorious, this year’s championship promises to deliver thrilling competition among the top talent in the world of Counter-Strike.
Scheduled to kick off on April 1, 2024, and culminating with the world finals in late October 2024, the Thunderpick World Championship aims to elevate the esports experience to new heights.
With a prize pool nearly double the $600,000 Bitcoin pool of the previous year, participants will vie for a substantial cash reward.
Kelly Sanders, Head of Strategy for Thunderpick, expressed excitement about the upcoming event, emphasizing its role in showcasing the dedication to the vibrant and expanding esports community.
Sanders highlighted the intense competition and high-quality gameplay expected to captivate fans and players worldwide.
The Thunderpick World Championship 2024 will feature six qualifier rounds across three global regions: Europe, North America, and, for the first time, South America.
Qualifiers & Tournament dates
- Europe Qualifier 1: April 1-22
- Europe Qualifier 2: August 19-31
- North America Qualifier 1: May 19-24
- North America Qualifier 2: June 4-9
- South America Qualifier 1: May 11-16
- South America Qualifier 2: July 17-22
- World Finals (RO16): October 1-4
- World Finals (RO8): October 19-20
- World Finals (LAN): October 23-24
All qualifying competitions will be conducted remotely within their respective regions.
Renewing its partnership with GRID, a leading esports data company, Thunderpick ensures the tournament’s integrity, security, and commercial potential.
As the official esports services provider and data partner, GRID will leverage its comprehensive suite of tournament tools and data visualization capabilities to enhance the championship experience.
Fabian Logemann, Head of Tournament Operations at GRID, expressed pride in supporting the Thunderpick CS2 World Championship 2024, citing Thunderpick’s significant contribution to the sustainability of the CS2 esports scene.
GRID looks forward to providing essential tournament services and delivering critical data insights throughout the championship series.
As esports continue to thrive, Thunderpick remains at the forefront of innovation, offering an immersive betting platform and elevating the competitive gaming landscape with prestigious events like the Thunderpick World Championship.
We’re pumped to announce the Thunderpick World Championship 2024!
This year, the top teams in CS2 will go head to head for a record-breaking $1,000,000 prize pool
Make sure to follow us for team announcements, updates and special promos in this year's #ThunderpickWC
— Thunderpick (@thunderpickco) February 13, 2024
]]>
The match featured the champions of two major CS2 events, but it was FaZe who emerged victorious on Ancient with a score of 13-10 and pulled off a remarkable comeback on Vertigo, winning 19-17 after trailing 1-8.
This victory marked FaZe’s eleventh consecutive series win following their triumph at IEM Sydney 2023.
It was a remarkable achievement for the team, especially given the uncertainty surrounding the roster, including rumours of Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken’s imminent move to Team Liquid and the acquisition of FaZe Clan by GameSquare, the parent company of Complexity.
FaZe’s in-game leader, Finn “karrigan” Andersen, praised his team’s adaptability and versatility as key factors in their success.
The contrasting styles of play between the two teams were a topic of discussion before the final, with FaZe bringing controlled chaos against Virtus.pro’s methodical approach.
However, FaZe’s adaptability proved decisive on the CS2 stage.
The online format of the event may have favoured Virtus.pro, the Roobet Cup champions, but FaZe showcased their resilience and skill with clutch plays, comebacks, and critical decisions during crucial moments, reminiscent of their performance in big live events.
The match began with FaZe’s pick of Ancient, where they initially struggled but managed to turn the tide in their favour with two low-economy round wins and a strong second-half performance.
In contrast, Virtus.pro maintained a slow and steady pace, but FaZe’s quality ultimately prevailed, resulting in a 13-10 victory.
Vertigo, an unexpected map choice by FaZe, saw them fall behind 1-8 early on.
However, FaZe showcased their resilience and turned the game around with impressive retakes and strategic plays.
karrigan’s aggressive moves disrupted Virtus.pro’s calculated approach, culminating in a pivotal round where he secured a triple kill.
The match remained intense and went into two overtimes, marked by retakes and low-probability round wins.
Robin “ropz” Kool’s aggressive CT play played a significant role in FaZe’s victory.
As the match progressed, FaZe embraced the chaos and demonstrated their clutch abilities, reminiscent of their peak in 2022, securing the map and claiming the $250,000 first prize.
ropz emerged as the clear MVP of the finals, with an outstanding performance across both maps.
He finished with 52 kills, only 35 deaths, and an impressive 1.49 HLTV rating.
FaZe will now seek their third CS2 title as they make their way to China to compete in the CS2 Asia Championships, where they are the heavy favourites with most esports betting sites.
.@FaZeEsports ARE YOUR THUNDERPICK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2023 CHAMPIONS!
@karriganCSGO
— Thunderpick (@thunderpickco) November 5, 2023
]]>
CHAMPIONS OF ROOBET CUP 2023! We've earned our first trophy in CS2 and $150,000 for the first place!
However, we have no time to relax, as the first match of the playoff stage at the Thunderpick World Championship is already tomorrow. We'll play against Heroic at 13:00 CET. pic.twitter.com/PvD9kuf83g
— Virtus.pro (@virtuspro) November 2, 2023
The series kicked off with Virtus.pro taking a 13-10 win on Overpass, their map pick.
However, their journey to victory hit a bump on Anubis, where Monte rallied back from an early deficit to secure a 13-10 victory of their own.
The fate of the tournament hinged on Mirage, where Virtus.pro managed to assert their dominance and clinch a decisive win.
Dzhami “Jame” Ali and his squad displayed remarkable prowess throughout the tournament.
They notably defeated four top-30 ranked teams, a feat that marked their first title victory since the return of David “n0rb3r7” Danielyan in August and first since the Counter-Strike 2 era began.
Their Mirage performance, in particular, was a stark contrast to the start of the series, as Monte found it challenging to gain momentum after the initial stages of the map.
The opening rounds of Overpass were fiercely contested, with a pistol round win for Monte failing to secure an early lead as force-buy skirmishes unfolded.
However, n0rb3r7’s exceptional triple kill in round four marked a turning point, allowing Virtus.pro to establish a 7-5 lead on their T side, thanks in part to Evgenii “FL1T” Lebedev’s contributions.
Virtus.pro extended their lead after halftime, although they couldn’t close out the map immediately.
Monte fought back, narrowing the deficit, but Virtus.pro ultimately secured the victory with a 13-10 score.
Monte responded with a strong performance on Anubis, even though they faced adversity at the beginning of the map.
They managed to equalize the score at 6-6 after a shaky start, with players like Alexander “br0” Bro and Viktor “sdy” Orudzhev making crucial contributions.
Monte dominated on their attacking side, losing only four rounds before closing out their pick with a 13-10 score.
However, Mirage saw Monte’s performance falter, with Virtus.pro taking control early and securing a comfortable lead.
Despite Monte initially going up 4-1, Virtus.pro’s FL1T and Jame were pivotal in shutting down Monte’s T-side efforts.
Virtus.pro went on to win all the remaining rounds in the first half, leading 8-4.
A standout 1v4 clutch from Nikolay “mir” Bityukov in the second pistol round sealed Monte’s fate, allowing Virtus.pro to swiftly close out the game with a 13-4 score.
Virtus.pro is not resting on their laurels, as they have the opportunity to add another title to their tally.
They are also in the playoffs of the Thunderpick World Championship 2023, where they are set to face off against Heroic in the quarter-finals.
A potential rematch of the Roobet Cup 2023 grand final could be on the horizon if Monte advances past Spirit in their own quarter-final.
In such a scenario, Monte would need to improve their performance, particularly in the realm of opening duels, where they struggled in the Roobet Cup series on both Overpass and Mirage.
]]>
TEAM SPIRIT vs MONTE CS2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
|
|---|---|
| Best Odds: | Spirit $1.61 at GG Bet | Monte $2.20 at GG Bet |
| When: | November 3, 2023 | 10:00 CET |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/gridesports) |
Team Spirit are one of the favourites to win Thunderpick World Championship 2023, and they’re expected to do well against Monte. The Russian outfit finished Group C with a perfect 2-0 record after wins against Intel Extreme Masters Sydney 2023 finalists Complexity and semifinalists MOUZ.
Monte have also had their moments, and they didn’t look too bad during the group stage, with just one loss against FaZe Clan. Monte made the semifinals of ESL Pro League Season 18 but were not as successful in Australia, where they finished seventh-eighth.
Monte have the talent to do well against Team Spirit and can easily take a map. But Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov and co. are in better form and should be too much for Monte to handle.
Team Spirit to win
HEROIC vs VIRTUS.PRO CS2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
|
|---|---|
| Best Odds: | Heroic $2.75 at GG Bet | VP $1.40 at GG Bet |
| When: | November 3, 2023 | 13:00 CET |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/gridesports) |
Despite the recent roster chaos that forced Heroic to add two stand-ins, the Danish squad made it through the Thunderpick World Championship 2023 group stage without a loss. However, they dropped maps against Nouns Esports and BIG, which isn’t inspiring.
Virtus.pro placed second in Group A behind Cloud9. They won 2-1 against both Ninjas in Pyjamas and Fnatic, which are decent results but nothing to write home about.
Due to Heroic’s roster instability, it sounds fair to have them priced as underdogs, but Christoffer “Chr1zN” Storgaard (1.18) and Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen (1.41) are in great form, and they could lead Heroic to victory. Even though VP should win, Heroic at the offered CS2 betting odds are a solid outsider pick.
Heroic to win
CLOUD9 vs BIG CS2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
|
|---|---|
| Best Odds: | C9 $1.66 at GG Bet | BIG $2.10 at GG Bet |
| When: | November 3, 2023 | 16:00 CET |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/gridesports) |
Cloud9 recently added Kirill “Boombl4” Mikhaylov as a replacement for Dmitriy “sh1ro” Sokolov, and it seems like that was an excellent choice. Even though it’s way too early to draw any conclusions, the addition of Boombl4 has made Cloud9 a much better team.
They won Thunderpick World Championship 2023 Group A with two 2-1 wins against Fnatic and Virtus.pro and are now priced as favourites against BIG, who haven’t looked amazing over the last week. The Germans finished Group D in second place with a loss against Heroic and two wins against FURIA.
Before Thunderpick World Championship 2023, BIG crashed out of Roobet Cup 2023 in the third round, and they haven’t looked great when faced with stronger teams. But most importantly, BIG lost 0-2 against Cloud9 a month ago.
Cloud9 to win
FAZE CLAN vs MOUZ CS2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
|
|---|---|
| Best Odds: | FaZe $1.61 at GG Bet | MOUZ $2.20 at GG Bet |
| When: | November 3, 2023 | 19:00 CET |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/gridesports) |
After their historic title run at IEM Sydney 2023, FaZe Clan are the outright favourites to win Thunderpick World Championship 2023. Despite their extended dry streak, this squad was bound to find some traction, and it happened on the game’s new version.
MOUZ came out of nowhere and won ESL Pro League Season 18 at the start of October. Three weeks later, they reached the semifinals at IEM Sydney 2023, proving that, like FaZe, they’re comfortable on CS2.
FaZe Clan are the better team, but this looks like a close game – especially considering the teams don’t share a map pool, which should give MOUZ a chance to steal a map.
Over 2.5 total maps
ENDPOINT vs MIBR CS:GO BETTING & MATCH DETAIL |
|
|---|---|
| Best Odds: | END $2.00 at GG Bet | MiBR $1.72 at GG Bet |
| When: | September 16, 2023 |16:00 CEST |
| Watch Live: | YouTube (https://www.twitch.tv/gridesports) |
Endpoint and MiBR will clash on Saturday in the ThunderPick World Championship 2023 EU Series #2 quarterfinal, marking the first meeting between the two squads since July 2021. According to the latest CS:GO betting odds, MiBR are expected to win, which isn’t surprising.
MiBR have not accomplished much outside of a few regional tournaments this season, but the Brazilians looked solid at ESL Pro League Season 18 last week when they defeated MOUZ (2-1), Monte (2-1) and Evil Geniuses (2-1). Their run ended with a loss against Monte in the Group B lower bracket final; however, MiBR still outperformed the expectations and left a good impression.
Endpoint have not attended the ESL Pro League Season 18 or appeared in a single S-Tier tournament this season. But that wouldn’t mean much had Endpoint at least accomplished something in the few lesser events they competed in. They have not.
Despite being 7-2 from their last nine outings, Endpoint have struggled against lesser opponents (1-2 vs Raptors, 17-19 vs Into the Breach).
MiBR are known to disappoint, but they’ve found some traction recently, which suggests that they should do just fine against the struggling Endpoint.
MiBR -1.5 maps
TEAM SPIRIT vs 9Z TEAM CS:GO BETTING & MATCH DETAIL |
|
|---|---|
| Best Odds: | Spirit $1.40 at GG Bet | 9z $2.75 at GG Bet |
| When: | September 16, 2023 |19:00 CEST |
| Watch Live: | YouTube (https://www.twitch.tv/gridesports) |
In June and July, Team Spirit parted ways with Pavel “s1ren” Ogloblin, Ihor “w0nderful” Zhdanov, and Robert “Patsi” Isyanov. Still, despite losing some of their top players, Spirit have looked solid in recent games.
At the end of August, Spirit won Dunav Party LAN a week later made it through RES Eastern European Masters: Fall 2023 – Open Qualifier #2. Ahead of their clash with 9z, Spirit are 11-1 with just one loss against Zero Tenacity (0-2) from the first RES Eastern European Masters: Fall 2023 open qualifiers.
9z Team looked great before the summer break, but they’ve not shown much since August, with two early exits from TG Masters Fall 2023 (seventh-eighth) and CCT North Europe Series #7 (ninth-16th). They have won the opening three games at Thunderpick World Championship 2023: European Series #2, but 9z Team have only beaten MASONIC, Preasy, and Bad News Eagles, which is hardly something to write home about.
As the latest CS:GO betting odds suggest, Team Spirit should win, and it’s hard to argue with that. The teams have similar map pool, and Spirit have a better win rate on every map 9z Team like to play, except Anubis (57% v 67%). Considering Team Spirit had to play stronger opponents, those figures are far more impressive.
Team Spirit -1.5 maps
]]>
00 NATION vs TEAM SINGULARITY CS:GO BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
|
|---|---|
| Best Odds: | 00N $1.31 at GG Bet | Singularity $3.25 at GG Bet |
| When: | September 8, 2023 | 16:00 CEST |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/gridesports) |
Last month, 00 Nation parted ways with their entire Brazilian CS:GO lineup in favour of a European roster led by former Copenhagen Flames in-game leader Thomas “birdfromsky” Due Frederiksen. The new squad quickly proved its worth and won Pinnacle Cup V at the end of August, jumping 53 spots on the CS:GO world rankings to no.34.
Team Singularity have not made any changes since February 2023, although the team did lose in-game leader Tomasz “freo” Wolski, who left a month ago. Singularity have since played with a couple of stand-ins, winning European Pro League Season 10: Division 2 and placing second at HATOR Series #1, but they’ve yet to find a permanent replacement.
Team Singularity are in a tough spot, missing an in-game leader, but it’s not like this team would have a realistic chance against 00 Nation, even with freo. 00 Nation’s new European lineup has played just one official tournament but looked very good, so it’s hard to doubt their chances to crush Team Singularity on Friday.
00 Nation -1.5 maps
9z TEAM vs MASONIC CS:GO BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
|
|---|---|
| Best Odds: | 9z $1.54 at GG Bet | MASONIC $2.37 at GG Bet |
| When: | September 8, 2023 | 19:00 CEST |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/gridesports) |
9z Team were in excellent form in July, winning KaBuM! Legends and CCT South America Series #8. But since the start of August, Maximiliano “max” Gonzalez and co. have failed to find as much success.
An early exit from TG Masters Fall 2023 followed by a 9th-16th finish at CCT North Europe Series #7 puts a huge question mark over 9z Team and their ability to deliver in the ThunderPick World Championship. However, most CS:GO bookmakers are projecting the South American side will do well in this matchup.
MASONIC have won just one tournament in 2023 – MistGames Heroes of Lofoten in April – and they haven’t looked good over the last two months. In the first Thunderpick World Championship 2023 qualifiers, they crashed out in 25th-40th place and have since exited CCT Central Europe Series #7 in 23rd-24th and HATOR Series #1 in 13th-16th.
Besides the Danish squad’s poor results, MASONIC are also struggling with roster stability, having lost five players since May. They signed a new squad in July, but even that project didn’t last long, with Andreas “Hansi” Hansen leaving the team to join Alpha Gaming five weeks after his arrival.
9z Team haven’t looked amazing lately, but they’re in a good spot to win this series. 9z Team to sweep is a bit of a bold pick, but at $2.60 with top esports betting sites, it’s a solid value bet.
9z Team -1.5 maps
The esports organisations will join Evil Geniuses on the list of invitees to begin their run in the Counter-Strike 2 tournament on October 27 till November 5. The event, which was first announced earlier this year, will boast a $500,000 prize pool.
Thunderpick’s Head of Strategy, Kelly Sanders, revealed that the company was excited to announce the new additions to the growing list of partnerships.
“We are very excited to confirm participation from such highly-ranked teams ahead of our North American CS:GO World Championship qualifying round next week,” Sanders said.
“It will be an exciting opportunity for teams brimming with potential, such as our partners and ‘home team’ Evil Geniuses, to face off against perennial powerhouses in both North America and Europe. This competition will feature some of the greatest to ever play the game, all vying for a monumental Bitcoin prize.”
ENCE and Heroic were announced as the newest invitees shortly after a solid finish to the Spring season. ENCE placed second in the Intel Extreme Masters Dallas for the first time since going international in 2021.
Heroic, on the other hand, ended their season with a first-place finish in the BLAST Premier Spring Final in Copenhagen. The Danish lineup are also currently No 1 on the world ranking.
Astralis and Complexity will also be making an appearance in the European and North American qualifiers for the main event. The North America Series 1 is the first event among the bunch and is set to kick off on July 10 to July 18. The qualifier will award two teams places in the Thunderpick World Championship 2023.
The tournament organisers are set to issue three more invites, while the European and North American qualifiers’ results will determine the rest of the participants. The top eight teams in the qualifiers will be given places in the event.
Evil Geniuses signed a partnership agreement with Thunderpick towards the end of May. Under the terms of the deal, the cryptocurrency betting platform is now the Marquee Partner for all Evil Geniuses’ CS:GO Teams; Blue, Gold, and Black. The partnership also automatically placed Evil Geniuses among Thunderpick’s list of invitees for the October tournament.
Thunderpick World Championship 2023’s current list includes:
● Evil Geniuses
● Heroic
● ENCE
● Astralis
● Complexity
● Direct invite #6
● Direct invite #7
● Direct invite #8
● Europe series qualifier winner #1
● Europe series qualifier winner #2
● Europe series qualifier winner #3
● Europe series qualifier winner #4
● North America series qualifier winner #1
● North America series qualifier winner #2
● North America series qualifier winner #3
● North America series qualifier winner #4