The 24 teams at the PGL Copenhagen Major have been locked in and on March 17, the world will witness the beginning of a new era as Counter-Strike 2’s first Valve-sponsored Major gets underway.
All 24 will be hungry to stamp their mark on the early landscape of CS2. We’ve already seen great performances after the birth of the Counter-Strike sequel, but this time, the dial has been turned up to 11.
That said, the heroes don’t always walk away with the big trophy and the glory as Major champions. If CS:GO’s final Major taught us anything it’s that success can come from anywhere and to always expect the unexpected.
Here are Dot Esports’ power rankings for the PGL Copenhagen Major 2024.
Dot Esports’ Power Rankings: PGL Copenhagen Major 2024
24) Lynn Vision
Someone’s got to run last, and in our eyes, the feisty but inexperienced crew at Lynn Vision fit the mold all too well. Lynn Vision currently sits at the head of the Chinese CS table but it’s quite the merry-go-round in the region, and despite their scintillating win over ex-Grayhound, they’ll be lucky to nab a surprise best-of-one in Copenhagen.
23) Legacy
Coldzera, once regarded as one of the game’s greatest players, is playing his best Counter-Strike in almost five years and has been seemingly rejuvenated by a couple of young co-stars in latto and dumau.
Some of coldzera’s greatest moments have come at Majors, but he’ll need to deliver plenty more for Legacy to reach the next stage as Legacy doesn’t have the resume to do much better than 0-3 in our eyes.
22) AMKAL
The Nickelback-Krad-Forester trio has chewed through a variety of orgs over the years, but the latter two players already have multiple Major appearances under their belt with forZe, DreamEaters, and Entropiq.
Making it through the stacked European RMRs is a big accomplishment in and of itself, but the field is only getting stronger heading into the main event, and there are teams better suited to cause big upsets.
21) paiN Gaming
The young and unproven core of paiN Gaming have only been playing together regularly for a few months, making their 3-1 performance at the RMR even more impressive in hindsight. Still, this team has struggled to play consistently even against other Brazilian teams in their tier, so the challenge ahead of them in the Opening Stage will too great for them to overcome in our eyes.
20) Imperial
Imperial shocked the audiences at the Americas RMR by going 3-0, a deed that was only achieved by higher-placed FURIA. But, sweeping your regional qualifier doesn’t automatically turn them into a great team, especially since they only played the American team in 2024.
On paper, Imperial has what it takes to make it through the Opening Stage and cause some upsets. However, will it be enough to handle European competition? As they recently lost 0-2 to Monte, we’re leaning more towards saying it won’t.
19) ECSTATIC
Despite losing maNkz to M80, the former Lyngby Vikings org was able to put together a squad that punched above its weight in the RMRs, and with casle’s ESIC ban reduced for his exploitation of the coaching bug, he can join the squad in Copenhagen. Hometown heroes or not, it would be a big surprise to see them progress past the opening round.
18) KOI
There’s always this thin line at the Major between teams who have enough to qualify for the second stage and those who are too weak to do anything besides going 0-3. If we were to rate KOI, we’d say they’re right on this line.
They have a few renowned players on their roster and have been playing exceptionally well in recent weeks. But their results suggest they’re not yet ready to compete in the big leagues, especially with the minimal experience at the Majors.
17) GamerLegion
The last-minute replacements for the unfortunate 9Pandas squad, GamerLegion’s presence at least guarantees the participation of another legend with Snax replacing seized. These two teams battled it out in the final of the RMR decider in a close-fought series, so they are quite close to each other in terms of potential and merit.
Nevertheless, it’s tough to see how this iteration of GamerLegion could come anywhere close to their past Paris heroics, especially on such short notice.
16) The MongolZ
Asia CS is desperate for a win, and this year might be the best shot through The MongolZ. The Asia RMR was all too easy for the Mongolian giants who spent time in Europe preparing for both the qualifier and the Major this week.
Several other pros are saying that based on scrims the squad will sweep the Opening Stage, but we’re tempering our expectations a little here. Pick them 0-3 at your own peril, though.
15) Apeks
It feels like an age since Apeks shocked the world with their top-four finish at the Paris Major, but after the French tournament and like their peers at GamerLegion, the top teams came knocking and picked the squad to pieces. Yet, the Norwegian-backed squad rose once more and while recent results may not look amazing, the mix of youth and experience is perfect.
Jkaem has aged like a fine wine, and sense’s ease into the captaincy role after the departure of kyxsan to Heroic plus the support of the legendary STYKO should mean Apeks can manage an Elimination Stage spot. Beyond that? Unlikely, but hey, they’ve done it before.
14) FURIA
FURIA walked into the Americas RMR with consideration as the best team in the region and comfortably booked a trip to Copenhagen with a 3-0 performance. Despite their strong performance, they must start in the Opening Stage.
That said, they should make it out of the first stage and into the Elimination Stage. The team’s form has been steadily improving since the acquisition of FalleN and chelo, and the steady star power of KSCERATO is an intimidating presence against any team from any region.
13) Heroic
Losing three players and still making it to the Major is a story worthy of a Hollywood movie, and one that is currently in the writing by Heroic. The European team has been showing good form all around, going toe-to-toe with the biggest names in the game like G2 and Vitality, as well as keeping a handle on their lower-ranked enemies.
Kyxsan’s squad is constantly improving, so the question remains: Just how good will they turn up in Denmark? We believe their potential is sky-high. Elimination Stage lock-ins for sure.
12) SAW
Fox walked so that SAW could run. Portuguese CS is back in a big way through SAW who, at one point, looked down and out during the RMR after losses to a hot VP and a surprise 9Pandas. In retrospect, we can blame the best-of-ones because SAW let loose in the best-of-threes and showed us what they’re truly capable of.
Their next three opponents never got close to managing double-digits and all of a sudden, SAW had made it. They’ve been on the up-and-up in EU tier two and three for a while but they might have just cracked the code ahead of the biggest tournament of their lives. Let’s see if they can carry the momentum through the Opening Stage this week.
11) Eternal Fire
The delightful Turks have been one of the surprise packages of IEM Katowice and the European RMRs as they quietly racked up a set of impressive performances and results, even against some of the top teams. The firepower was always there with the XANTARES-led squad, but the poise under fire was sorely lacking. Their latest roster configuration and a semblance of stability have gone a long way for the team.
With close-fought series against FaZe, G2, and NAVI to point to, it’s clear that this team can take the fight to the title contenders when everything goes right, and they are on a positive trajectory heading into the biggest CS2 event to date.
10) Complexity
The Americas RMR turned into an American nightmare as numerous North American squads fell short of expectations, leaving only a Complexity roster that crawled its way into the Major with a decisive but bittersweet win versus Liquid. Magically, that win turned into a spot in the Elimination Stage, which gives Complexity more time to prepare—and NA fans more time to worry.
This team lives and dies through EliGE, who delivered in every single crucial RMR victory. As the pressure and the difficulty ramps up in Copenhagen though, the support has to step up. If riflers Grim and floppy and AWPer hallzerk are quiet, it will be a quick exit for Complexity.
9) Cloud9
Cloud9 is certainly one of the toughest nuts to crack. They are the best team without a dedicated AWPer, which arguably led them to some early exits, for example at IEM Katowice 2024. But somehow, they make it work at other events, sweeping through the RMR in style.
The sheer firepower of this squad is something everyone needs to take into account. With proper tactics and more importantly, mindset and communication, C9 can cook and reach new heights in Denmark. Without it, though, they’re just one of the better teams at the Major.
8) NAVI
No s1mple, no party? Well, at least he is back on the bench now. It’s a testament to Aleksib’s work (and catastrophically bad luck) that he was able to scrape together a top five-ish squad from international scraps and worked wonders with w0nderful to make him a more than serviceable replacement for the CS:GOAT.
The brawns and the brains are both present in this NAVI squad to do some real damage, but they still haven’t seemed to have found the right mixture to get them into the stratosphere that will be the top four. We’ve got them scraping a playoff spot here, but already that’s a remarkable rebound after losing s1mple, and with a little more time they could have a real shot in Shanghai.
7) ENCE
No one expected the new ENCE to ever climb the heights they have in the past few weeks, let alone do it so quickly. Nevertheless, the Polish core led by gla1ve has rapidly become one of the most skilled lineups in the world, with the Copenhagen Major being their biggest test yet. But, to their avail, they have already shown they can withstand pressure when they reached playoffs in Katowice.
With gla1ve motivated to reach playoffs in his home country, and his Polish crew getting better and better each week, it’ll be exciting to see ENCE in action. Qualifying for Royal Arena is certainly within their reach, and would be a dream come true for both Polish and Danish fans. However, given their recent slip-ups at the IEM Dallas 2024 qualifier, ENCE needs to stay focused.
6) Virtus.pro
After a devastating defeat in the BLAST Paris Major RMR qualifier, VP announced its return to the Major in emphatic fashion with an easy 3-0 run which included both SAW and NAVI who themselves qualified comfortably.
The Jame-led lineup has epitomized the phrase “under the radar” but their consistency needs to be questioned. IEM Katowice was a disaster for the squad, recording just one win over Aussie minnows Rooster, and while they have since bounced back with their Major and IEM Dallas qualification, they’ll need FL1T, fame, and Jame firing on all cylinders if they want to push for a top four or better spot in Denmark.
5) G2 Esports
When G2 missed their shot at the Major trophy at PGL Stockholm, something broke. In the three Majors since NiKo and company failed to reach the playoffs stage and didn’t even successfully qualify for IEM Rio. And while they walked out of Cologne with what is essentially the last significant CS:GO trophy, their run in CS2 so far has been solid but not impressive.
Still, they are a team that has to be considered in the playoff mix. NiKo is arguably the best player ever amongst the ones still chasing a Major, and young AWPer m0NESY has gone from wunderkind to bonafide superstar. The team opted to bench jks to give their other stars more breathing room, so it’s on this dynamic duo to carry the load in Copenhagen.
4) MOUZ
In the end, we ranked “FaZe Academy” a smidgen below the main FaZe squad itself. Okay, this is a bit unfair on the excellent scouting and coaching job done by MOUZ, whose youthful yet experienced roster has survived many poaching attempts and the move to CS2 to keep themselves near the elite.
Their fantastic conveyor belt of talent keeps on humming by, and their effortless integration of the long-languishing Brollan is a sign of how this team’s ethos goes beyond its specific roster at any given time. Still, the lack of title-winning experience and a bit too mercurial of an AWPer in the form of torzsi keeps them out of the top three despite their undeniable prowess.
3) FaZe Clan
FaZe has been on fire since CS2 came out, reaching six different grand finals across major tournaments and claiming three trophies at IEM Sydney, the Thunderpick World Championship, and the CS Asia Championship. Going into Copenhagen, they own the number one spot on HLTV’s global rankings.
The team seems like it has not lost a step bringing in frozen to replace Twistzz, and as a player of his caliber gets more and more comfortable, FaZe only gets more and more dangerous. And given the Major experience of the players on this team, that’s bad news for the rest of the field.
2) Team Spirit
All hail the mighty Donk. Team Spirit has emerged from the woodwork with a fury, snatching away IEM Katowice and putting the scene on notice. Spirit is more than just one man, though: Sh1ro is warming back into form, and the magixx and zont1x duo fly under the radar but are incredibly consistent.
But credit where it’s due: Captain chopper and the back office at Spirit have cultivated a squad of hitmen once again, just like they did in Dota 2 at The International, and show there’s more to a team than just the team. Outside of their 2-0 loss to MOUZ at the RMR, Spirit has been all but flawless in 2024 and will surely be contesting for a top-four spot in Copenhagen.
Spirit actually equaled the top team in our list in votes but lost out on the tiebreaker as we feel experience reigns supreme, but we won’t be surprised in the slightest if Spirit lift the trophy in Denmark this April.
1) Team Vitality
The reigning Major champions ended up in the number one place on our list, though the competition was fierce. Each of the previous four contestants excel brilliantly in certain aspects but the combination of firepower, experience, strategy, and pure skill makes Vitality the strongest team in Denmark in our eyes.
Many judge Vitality by their flop at IEM Katowice, where they were quickly eliminated after losses to ENCE and Heroic, but their other results as of late us confident in their abilities to go back to back. Trophies at the BLAST Fall Final and World Final cemented them as the team to beat currently, while strong but not flawless showings in the RMR and Spring Groups solidified their position.
Vitality has everything it needs to reach for the second Major trophy in a row. The main trio of ZywOo, flameZ, and Spinx arguably make for the strongest firepower in the scene, while mezii is becoming more and more comfortable in the support role. ApEX has pieced together similar combinations in the past, most importantly at the Paris Major. Can he do it again, though, especially with Spirit’s rise and other titans like FaZe and MOUZ growing ever so strong?
We’d say yes, but if Major history has shown us anything, you can’t count anyone out in Copenhagen this week.
Published: Mar 16, 2024 08:59 pm