Is the CS2 Shanghai Major crowd ruining the event?

The Shanghai Major is in full swing, but one CS2 pro is calling out the crowd and observers for potentially affecting the outcome of clutch situations.

The Shanghai Major is about to advance to the playoffs, and multiple teams have gone against the odds. The MongolZ has cemented its place as a top-tier squad after a year of success, blasting past the elimination stage 3-0. Meanwhile, reigning champion Natus Vincere is on the verge of elimination with a 2-2 record. After a much-needed win over GamerLegion, Navi captain Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen shares how the roar of the crowd may be working against players who are already fighting the odds.

Here’s what Aleksib said about the Shanghai Major crowd and how the organizer could solve the issue.

What’s wrong with the Shanghai Major crowd?

Navi captain Aleksib said that observers are using the wrong observation setting for clutches at the Shanghai Major, which leads the crowd to give away plays.

In the video spread on social media, Aleksib said that the decision to leave observation X-ray on during clutch situations leads to loud crowd reactions. This, in turn, can give away a player’s position. Anyone in the clutch is already working against the odds, so having the crowd to worry about tilts the odds every further.

“There was a moment when I was flanking a smoke and I could hear the crowd start screaming, and I’m not sure if they were screaming because I was flanking or because there was some other action happening, and I messed up my timing… I really don’t know why the organizers are not removing the X-rays on clutch situations,” said Aleksib.

Aleksib’s complaints stem from the settings used by observers. The cameras often leave X-rays turned on so viewers can see players through walls. This gives the Shanghai Major crowd more information than the players. Since they can then see hype moments like sneaky knives or clutch flanks before they happen. This creates crowd chatter that the players can sometimes hear through the booths and headphones. This issue has been a long-accepted component of live esports events, but it undoubtedly affects gameplay.

Aleksib’s proposed solution is to disable the X-ray feature in tense situations such as a clutch. This would give the crowd less of a heads-up before an explosive moment. Of course, there’s always a chance that keen fans will keep an eye on the minimap or just deduce the situation from the clutcher’s point of view. Some fans argue that crowd info should help both teams equally over the course of a match. Still, any technique to reduce disruption would be appreciated by the players.

Natus Vincere will have to win its fifth and final elimination stage match against Heroic to qualify for the Shanghai Major playoffs. If any more crowd shenanigans disrupt a clutch attempt, expect more uproar on social media.