China is one of biggest regions for casual CS2 players, but how do its esports teams stack up against the west?
The Shanghai Major has put a new spotlight on the competitive Chinese CS2 scene. Asia and Oceania as a whole are on the rise, with The MongolZ rising through the ranks and FlyQuest taking surprise matches off top teams. However, it’s still rare to see teams from China at top-level tournaments.
For fans just now tuning into the scene and getting a feel for the regions,
CS2 teams from China are not as good as teams from Europe or the Americas.
Chinese teams generally exit international events in the earliest rounds, and they rarely if ever advance past group stages. However, there are still a few Chinese teams that can qualify for big events. The following squads are some of the better Chinese CS2 teams in 2024.
None of these teams are particularly successful on the global stage. TYLOO earned a championship at XSE Pro League Season 2 over Gaimin Gladiators, but GG was the only European team at the event. Lynn Vision earned 9th place at IEM Chengdu, which was arguably the region’s strongest showing of 2024. Rare Atom smashed the Asia-Pacific RMR and took a match over Fnatic in the Shanghai Major challengers stage. Progress is progress.
However, the qualifier system used in CS2 esports gives China a distinct advantage. Asia is generally considered the weakest region among major CS2 competitive hubs. Australia is generally considered strong enough to compete with North America, but that’s pretty much it for competition. When qualifiers for international events hold qualifiers for Asia, Chinese teams are reasonably likely to advance given the small pool of competitors.
This also stems from Southeast Asia’s relative apathy for Counter-Strike. Other competitive titles, especially Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Dota 2, reign supreme in the region. As a result, CS2 is much less popular, and competitive interest is relatively small. SEA and China often go hand-in-hand when it comes to esports, and in this case, CS2 just can’t compete with what’s organically popular.
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