BIG Clan find themselves on the brink of elimination at the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 after a disastrous opening day in the Elimination Stage.
The German squad now sits at 0-2 and must win three consecutive best-of-threes to secure a playoff spot—a monumental task after their struggles on Day 1.
BIG is on the brink of elimination in Shanghai!
Their troubles began against HEROIC, where despite a promising 6-round T-side on Mirage, BIG fell 13-7. The early success faded quickly as HEROIC’s Damjan "kyxsan" Stoilkovski orchestrated a clinical CT-side dismantling of BIG’s defensive setups. Unable to adjust, BIG succumbed to a loss that set the tone for a difficult day.
0:1 - Not the opening we hoped for, but we're ready to bounce back!
— BIG (@BIGCLANgg) December 5, 2024
Next match soon! pic.twitter.com/cotSTbjcex
The situation worsened after G2 Esports suffered a surprise loss to The MongolZ, which paired BIG against the tournament favorites in their second match. Sticking to Mirage, BIG found themselves completely outclassed in a lopsided 13-5 defeat. They managed to claim the first three T-side rounds and the opening two on CT but failed to mount any further resistance.
Johannes "tabseN" Wodarz had an especially tough outing, posting just five kills in the second match. Meanwhile, G2's star AWPer, Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov, was in sensational form, ending the game with a 21-10 K/D and delivering clutch moments that left BIG scrambling for solutions. G2’s relentless aggression and pinpoint execution rendered BIG’s efforts futile at times, underscoring the gap between the two sides.
0:2 - A tough start, but we're not done yet!
— BIG (@BIGCLANgg) December 5, 2024
BO3 tomorrow - it's do or die! pic.twitter.com/PKodQrLH5x
Now staring down elimination, BIG will face paiN tomorrow at 9:00 AM CET in the 0-2 pool. To stay alive, they must win not only this series but two additional BO3s in a row - a Herculean challenge given their current form. Should they manage the feat, it would mark their first Major playoff appearance since the FACEIT London Major in 2018.
0-2 bad day in the office but nothing its over till its over. Time to bounce back #GOBIG
— tabseN (@tabseNcs) December 5, 2024
For BIG Clan, the road ahead is unforgiving. If they are to extend their Shanghai campaign, they’ll need a complete turnaround and a near-perfect run, starting with paiN.