Top CS2 teams to watch at the Esports World Cup 2024

Fifteen teams from around the world will face off in Riyadh for the Esports World Cup, and with each aiming for victory, it begs the question: which teams are the favorites and the most interesting to watch? Here are Strafe's top picks.

Team Spirit

The Russian squad led by Leonid "chopper" Vishnyakov made the current season interesting to watch as a spectator. Especially with Danil "donk" Kryshkovets’s breakthrough while hammering the best teams in the world.

On the other side of the Spirit equation comes the big green wielder Dmitriy "sh1ro" Sokolov. Since joining the dragons, he became a cornerstone for the team with a high impact rating.

With all the pieces of the puzzle fitting perfectly, the superteam’s success has been instrumental so far in 2024.

Despite clinching the IEM Katowice and BLAST Premier Spring Final titles, there were a few mishaps, notably against equally strong opponents. For instance, Vitality and MOUZ had them with firm grip in two separate events including IEM Dallas, denying them the trophy.

However, that doesn’t take away an inch from their strength nor excitement to watch their games. Especially with the close race between the best players in the world.

G2 Esports

G2 Esports is one of the most anticipated teams to watch in the Esports World Cup following their latest roster changes. First, Mario "malbsMd" Samayoa was signed to replace Nemanja "⁠nexa⁠" Isaković. The Serbian rifler had subpar performances during his second tenure with G2, which resulted in his benching last month.

Moreover, the Guatemalan player has been a sensation with M80 and often an eye grabber whenever he’s inside of the server. With an overall 0.84 KPR, 92.2 ADR and 75% KAST in the last six months, it will be interesting to see how his North American dominance transitions on the international stage.

Second, Janusz "⁠Snax⁠" Pogorzelski takes over in-game leadership in the squad from Rasmus "⁠HooXi⁠" Nielsen. The Polish veteran made his comeback to tier one competition with GamerLegion, before headlining for the IEM Dallas champions. As a result of the roster changes, expectations are low for Nikola “NiKo” Kovač & co to come up on top, especially with the position overlaps.

Nevertheless, either their scout isn’t paying attention to positions, or they have some genius plan up their sleeves. Because In their raw positions, the trio of “NiKo”, “huNter-” and "malbsMd" overlap as rotators on CT side. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how they’ll overcome this issue.

Additionally, we can’t talk about G2 without mentioning their star player Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov. The Russian AWPer is in top form while going toe to toe with Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut and “donk” for the best player of the year title.

FaZe Clan

Any list involving teams should have FaZe Clan in it. After all, they earned it as the titans of CS2, having dominated the scene with eight grand finals appearances so far. Yet, during the last three events, the team came up short twice against Team Vitality and G2.

FaZe’s issues are bigger outside of the server than inside, and no it’s not David "frozen" Čerňanský. The Slovak star hit the ground running early with the squad while taking on Russel "Twistzz" Van Dulken’s positions.

Instead, their issue is being a cut above the rest, according to Håvard "rain" Nygaard. Evidently seen during the team’s interviews following their elimination at IEM Dallas.

“I think there's a multitude of reasons. Maybe burnout? I think everybody's tired. Going to the finals of every single tournament makes you have no days off during the tournament itself. The travel and everything just adds up. After London, we're gonna have a good rest and come with a fresh start and a fresh mind for next season.” - rain on failing to continue the grand final streak, for Dust2

However, now that the players had a break to recuperate, we can expect a better showing from FaZe Clan in the Esports World Cup.

Team Vitality

While some teams are known chokers (G2) during matches, Vitality stepped it up a notch by choking tournaments.

In 2024, they reached two grand finals and two semi-finals, including the PGL Major Copenhagen. Yes, it does solidify they’re a title contending team, but what will it take to make that extra step into lifting the trophy?

Close but no cigar

The influence of the "ZywOo effect" was unmistakable during their elimination series across multiple events in 2024. Their success frequently relied heavily on the standout performances of the French AWPer.

For instance, in their showdown against G2 at IEM Dallas, both teams' map picks were fiercely competitive and reached overtime, highlighted by "ZywOo's" impact. However, on the crucial deciding map, Mathieu seemed to fade into the background, and with him, Vitality's performance faltered as a whole.

So, can Vitality break through at the EWC and finally light up the cigar in celebration? Well, be sure to keep an eye on the Esports World Cup to find out.

Featured Image source: Strafe

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