WIN.gg's pick'ems for the Shanghai Major group stage

William Davis Published 03/12/2024

The Shanghai Major group stage is upon us, and WIN.gg has the best pick’ems to secure another free souvenir package.

The play-ins are over, the stage is set, and the main event of the Shanghai Major is about to begin. CS2 players are chomping at the bit to earn their free souvenir packages, and WIN.gg is here to help them upgrade their event coin. With 16 teams left in contention, players need to predict which ones will rise to the top and which will sink to the bottom. With nothing but the very best teams remaining, every pick counts.

Here are our pick’ems for the Shanghai Major group stage following the play-ins.

The best pick’ems for the Shanghai Major group stage

Our pick’ems predict that Team Vitality and Natus Vincere will go 3-0 in the group stage of the Shanghai Major.

This prediction is ultimately based on the teams’ consistency. Vitality trounced the European RMR event, defeating rival FaZe 2-0 on its way to the event. Vitality also performed quite well at BLAST World Final, defeating multiple teams competing in this very group stage. Natus Vincere is the reigning major champion, and despite a close loss to Mouz at the RMR, we believe the team will run through the group stage thanks to relatively easy matchups.

While G2 Esports could be a solid pick to go 3-0, the bracket lineup gives it a difficult time doing so. The MongolZ have pulled off several surprising upsets this year, and that included a 2-0 win over G2 at ESL Pro League 19. That first-round match could go either way, weakening our confidence that the team to go 3-0.

These are the other teams we predict will advance past the Shanghai Major group stage and reappear in the pick’ems for playoffs.

• Team Spirit
• FaZe Clan
• G2 Esports
• FURIA
• Team Liquid
• The MongolZ

All of these teams are consistent performers at the top level with the exception of Team Spirit. The young squad has yet to truly establish a chokehold on the competition, and it remains prone to upsets. However, with five potential matches ahead of it, we think the law of averages will bend to the will of Danil “donk” Kryshkovets.

As for the igononimous 0-3 predictions, we’re calling out Wildcard and MiBR. Wildcard barely squeezed past the play-ins with a tight series against Passion UA. Kaitlyn “Amouranth” Siragusa is even beefing with her players, so the mental damage may play a role. As for MiBR, the squad had arguably the easiest path of any team into the main event. Dropping maps to Rare Atom doesn’t inspire much confidence.

Read Also

Counter-Strike

IEM Cologne Major 2026 CS2 Stage 3 Pick’Em Predictions Owen Harsono It’s that time of the year again, as the next Counter-Strike 2 Major is right around the corner. The IEM Cologne 2026 Major is set to start on June 2, meaning you still have some time to lock in your Pick’Em predictions. The Pick’Em Challenge is one of the most exciting parts of the CS2 Majors, as it allows you to test your knowledge and predict which teams make it ...

Counter-Strike

Team Spirit concede just 10 rounds in Stage 2 of the IEM Cologne Major Owen Harsono It was pretty weird seeing Team Spirit having to start the IEM Cologne Major from Stage 2, but they quickly proved why that was a mistake. With donk shooting on all fronts, the Eastern Europeans speed ran the competition to book their spot in Stage 3. With how they’ve been playing, it’s hard not to wonder whether they can actually win the entire thing. These boys can sometimes be known ...

Counter-Strike

BIG pull off 0-12 comeback to stay alive – IEM Cologne Major Stage 1 recap Owen Harsono We’ve just witnessed arguably the worst choke in Counter-Strike Major history, and we’re only on the first stage of the IEM Cologne Major. If you didn’t tune into the Stage 1 matches, here’s what you need to know heading into Stage 2. Many fans tend to underestimate Stage 1 teams for fair reasons, but some survivors in this tournament look extremely promising. Two Eastern European teams, BetBoom Team and B8, ...

Counter-Strike

Who will win the IEM Cologne Major 2026? Owen Harsono If you’re looking to play it safe and back one team at the Counter-Strike 2 IEM Cologne 2026 Major, traders prediction markets platforms have a clear frontrunner – it’s Team Vitality. But if it’s not meant to be, there are a few other candidates that could lift the trophy. Here’s what traders on Polymarket and Kalshi think. If you haven’t been watching CS2 this year and are only jumping on ...

Counter-Strike

The 10 best CS2 players who have never won a Major Owen Harsono In Counter-Strike, winning a Major immediately puts you into legend status. It’s an achievement that proves you won the game’s biggest trophy. However, there have been some really good players that could never get their hands on the biggest trophy that Counter-Strike esports has to offer. Here is WIN.gg's list of best CS2 players who have never won a Major. ScreaM is one of Counter-Strike's most famous players for one ...

Counter-Strike

IEM Cologne Major 2026: All the teams, favorites, and outright betting odds Owen Harsono Mark your calendars, as the IEM Cologne Major kicks off on June 2, 2026. We’re going to see the best teams in the world compete, but which ones are actually favored to take the title? This will be the first time in 10 years that IEM Cologne will return as a Counter-Strike Major, so the stakes this year are much higher than they’ve been in a decade. In this guide, ...

Esports Betting

All IEM Cologne winners and rosters in Counter-Strike history Owen Harsono IEM Cologne is one of Counter-Strike’s biggest events, happening every single year. Some seasons, the event is labeled as one of Valve’s two Counter-Strike Majors of the year, but if not, still stands as one of the big events every player chases to win. With the IEM Cologne 2026 Major right around the corner, let’s take a trip down memory lane and check out every single winner of the tournament, ...