The team list for the CS2 Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 is officially set, following the conclusion of Sunday’s Regional Major Ranking (RMR) matches. After weeks of grueling competition, 24 teams have emerged victorious from the regional qualifiers, securing their spots at the first Counter-Strike 2 Major in Shanghai. This includes 3 teams from Asia, 7 from the Americas, and 14 from Europe.
This RMR cycle marked the end of an era. Valve has announced that, starting in 2025, the RMR tournaments will be replaced by direct invites based on rankings.
The team list for the Shanghai Major is set!
The BLAST Austin Major in June 2025 will be the first to adopt the new system, welcoming the top 32 ranked teams. As a result, the Shanghai Major qualifiers were bittersweet for players and fans, with some experiencing elation while others faced devastating heartbreak. The final ever RMRs delivered everything one could have hoped for, let's break them down and see which teams have advanced from the respective regions.
Asia: A Close Call for FlyQuest, Heartbreak for DRILLAS
Qualified Teams: The MongolZ, Rare Atom, FlyQuest
Asia’s RMR provided drama until the final map, as FlyQuest narrowly clinched their place in Shanghai. Firstly overcoming DRILLAS in a triple-overtime thriller, and then beating Lynn Vision. DRILLAS, a team financially backed by popular German streamer Mark “ohnePixel” Zimmermann, were on the brink of earning their first Major appearance and immortalizing their logo in the game as stickers. Despite their incredible run, their journey ended in heartbreak, highlighting the unforgiving nature of the qualifiers.
Americas: Familiar faces, but M80’s Major dreams dashed once again
Qualified Teams: Complexity, FURIA, Liquid, MIBR, paiN, Imperial, Wildcard
The Americas’ qualifiers saw powerhouse teams like Liquid, FURIA, and Complexity secure their spots. Liguid are back, after missing out on Copenhagen. A big achievement for their newly transformed in game leader Russel "Twistzz" Van Dulken. It was M80 who left fans stunned. The team, led by German stars Elias “s1n” Stein and Fritz “slaxz” Dietrich, fell short yet again in a decisive 7th-place match. This marks the second time in 2024 that M80 has missed a Major in a final-decider match, having suffered a similar fate earlier this year in the Copenhagen Major qualifiers.
Europe RMR A: Falcons miss out again despite star power
Qualified Teams: Natus Vincere, FaZe Clan, Vitality, MOUZ, Cloud9, fnatic, Gamer Legion
The European RMR A featured a mix of established giants and rising stars. While teams like Natus Vincere and Vitality comfortably secured spots, the biggest shocker was the continued struggles of Falcons. Despite adding Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev in September, the team missed out yet again. A string of disappointing performances has led to yet another roster shakeup, with the benching of Marco “Snappi” Pfeiffer, Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen, and Pavle “Maden” Bošković. Falcons are now looking toward a rebuild in 2025, with hopes pinned on the arrival of Nikola “NiKo” Kovač. The former Major winning org fnatic is back, after not qualifying for Copenhagen earlier this year.
Europe RMR B: Astralis falters, BIG is finally back
Qualified Teams: BIG Clan, 3DMax, G2, Heroic, Virtus.pro, Spirit, Passion UA
Europe RMR B delivered shocks of its own, most notably the failure of Astralis to qualify for a fourth straight Major. Once a dominant force in the CS:GO era with four Major titles, Astralis has struggled to regain its footing in the CS2 landscape. Expectations were tempered due to the absence of Nikolai “device” Reedtz, replaced by Alexander “br0” Bro as a stand-in. Still, the Danish team’s woes stand in stark contrast to Heroic’s success - comfortably securing qualification despite selling two key players, Jakob “jabbi” Nygaard and Martin “stavn” Lund, to Astralis at the end of 2023. And, after a two-year drought, BIG Clan is finally back at a Major.
The Shanghai Major will be remembered as the final one within the era of RMRs, a stage for teams to prove themselves in grueling LAN-qualifiers. The heartbreak, triumphs, and surprises of these events underscored the drama that only Counter-Strike can deliver. As the Valve ranking system takes over in 2025, the landscape of competitive CS will change forever. For now though, all eyes are on Shanghai, where these 24 teams will battle for ultimate glory.
What do you think? Who will be crowned Major-Champions in Shanghai, come December 15?