Thunderpick World Championship Preview: All Teams & Format

This page will discuss the upcoming event, preview what will come, and give insight into each team and their potential performance. The Thunderpick World Championship is a growing event, as seen from the prize pool. The highly competitive level of gameplay will create some great betting opportunities. For further CS2 betting advice, check our CS2 betting page. 

The Format

The tournament consists of sixteen teams who have either been invited or qualified through regional events. It starts with a Group Stage before advancing to a Playoffs Stage.

Group Stage

Teams get split into four groups of four. It is a double-elimination format, with all games being Bo3 series. If you lose two series, you get eliminated. If you win two, you will advance. Two teams advance from each group, setting up eight teams to participate in the Playoff Stage.

Playoffs Stage

The eight teams that have advanced from the Group Stage now participate in the Playoffs Stage. All matches are still Bo3, except for the Grand Final, which is a Bo5. The format is now single elimination, so any loss means a team’s end of the tournament.

Recent History 

There is little history to consider as it is a relatively new tournament in the CS2 calendar. 2023 was the first year this tournament ran, and it was successful.  Last year, the prize pool was $500,000, a record for a CS2 bookmaker-sponsored tournament. FaZe Clan were eventual winners, beating Virtus.pro 2-0 in the final. It is important to note that FaZe Clan are not participating in this year’s edition. CS2 is a constantly evolving title, and you need to stay current on all the latest news to have the best chance of making successful bets.

The Teams & Their Groups 

In this section, we will run through each team participating and what group they have drawn into.

Group A 

  • 3DMAX

They have experienced relative success throughout the year, mainly in the A and B-tier events. They will hope for better success in this S-tier event.

  • OG

OG has a great history, with many tournament wins at this level and higher. But their success has fallen off in recent years.

  • Virtus.pro

Last year’s finalists hope to go one step further this year and win the tournament. Having achieved some good results in other S-tier events in 2024, they hope to avenge that 2023 loss.

  • Team Falcons

Team Falcons have had an extremely mixed year. However, they won the BLAST Premier: Fall Showdown 2024, which involved many participating teams. This will give them great confidence. The rest of the year has been disappointing results and, at times, underachieving.

Group B

  • The MongolZ

The MongolZ have experienced a successful year. Winning B, A and an S-tier event. Coming into this, they will be confident of going far and hopeful of taking home the $500,000 prize money as the winner.

  • Cloud9

Winning the Thunderpick European Series #2 ensured that C9 qualified for this event. S-tier events have proven to be a step too far for C9 through the year.

  • Fnatic

Historically, Fnatic have been an extremely successful team in the Counter:Strike space. But that success has disappeared; now, their level is in B-tier events. They have faced many other teams competing here but often fail in more significant events.

  • 9z Team

9z often competes in similar events but does not achieve high-placed finishes. That is the story for 9z this year. They beat Fnatic in a final earlier this year, which will give them some confidence.

Group C

  • HEROIC

HEROIC recently placed high in the IEM Rio, finishing 3rd-4th. The IEM Rio contains some of the best teams worldwide, so achieving this was fantastic. There has also been a recent 2nd placed finish in the Elisa Masters Espoo, losing to ENCE. (You can check that out here) Confidence will be high for this HEROIC roster.

  • Imperial Esports

Another team that qualified through regional qualifiers, Imperial, has performed well in B-tier events this year. The steep uptick in quality here is likely to be too much.

  • Ninjas in Pyjamas

It has been a year of change for NiP. Four members of their roster only joined in 2024, so it is a relatively new team still trying to gel. Form throughout the year has been disappointing, which will be the driving factor behind so many roster changes. They will be hoping to change their fortunes here.

  • Legacy

Legacy has experienced some success this year, but it comes in the form of C and B-tier events. This event is likely to be too much for them.

Group D

  • Aurora Gaming

Aurora had a great start to 2024, achieving regular high-placed finishes in events and qualifiers. However, that success was short-lived. Throughout the rest of the year, they have struggled to replicate it.

  • BESTIA

BESTIA is only in its second year since forming in 2023. At that time, they achieved impressive finishes, especially in the qualifiers. It is unlikely they pose much of a threat to these teams, but making it here is outstanding from such a new team.

  • BIG

In recent history, BIG has become accustomed to winning at least one event each year. They have yet to do that this year, and they recently finished second in the ESL Challenger at DreamHack Atlanta 2024. They will be disappointed not to win there, but it will serve as a great building block coming into this event.

  • M80

M80 has shown some excellent form throughout the year. Finishing high in some of their tournaments, but those tournaments are primarily B-tier. The step up here may be too much for them.

Special Mention – Thunderpick 

Since the event is Thunderpick-sponsored, discussing this site and its promotions in more detail only fits. This is the second year Thunderpick has been sponsoring the CS2 event, and it currently holds the record for the largest prize pool for a bookmaker-sponsored event. That should tell you all you need to know about how serious Thunderpick is taking its commitment to this event.

With the main sponsor being a sportsbook, you would expect big betting promotions. Thunderpick is good in this aspect. The site is offering a welcome bonus of 100% worth up to €600 for new players. If you are new to CS2 betting or just Thunderpick, this is a promotion you must take advantage of. There will be promotions for existing customers. Thunderpick would be a great bookmaker for this tournament, as the main sponsors are almost obliged to provide an enhanced betting experience.

Thunderpick World Championship Betting – Conclusion

The event was a massive success last year and will be even more considerable this year. It is an event full of betting opportunities, so it is essential to remain up to date with the latest CS2 news. Some great teams are participating, and with such high stakes, it is guaranteed to be a highly competitive event.

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