The Dark Horses Emerge: Who Could Shock the Shanghai Major Playoffs
Playoff dark horses at the Perfect World 2024 Shanghai Major are ready to challenge the established elite, with two teams particularly standing out: Heroic and The MongolZ.
Heroic (#7 globally) has transformed significantly over the past 11 months, transitioning from an all-Danish roster to an international lineup. Despite initial struggles, recent roster changes including degster's addition as AWPer have shown promise. Strong performances from NertZ (1.23 rating) and TeSeS (1.13 rating) in recent tournaments, combined with kyxsan's dynamic IGLing and sjuush's support play, make them a formidable playoff contender.
The MongolZ (#9 HLTV) represents a historic milestone as the first Asian team to reach Major top 8 through consistent performance. Their 2024 achievements include:
- Top 16 at PGL Copenhagen Major
- Multiple playoff appearances (EPL 19 & 20, IEM events)
- 4 LAN championship titles
- $986,347 in prize money (4th highest in 2024)
Led by bLitz (23) and featuring talented players like AWPer 910 and rifler Senzu, The MongolZ combines strong individual skills with tactical depth. Their current 10-match winning streak and dominant opening stage performance (dropping only 15 rounds across four maps) demonstrate their potential to compete at the highest level.
These teams aren't just looking for upsets – they're aiming to establish themselves among Counter-Strike's elite and reshape competitive expectations.
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