CS2: BIG Clan qualify for Shanghai Major, ending 2 year drought

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As a long-time German CS:GO fan, I can hardly contain my excitement! After two years of heartache and disappointment, BIG Clan has finally secured their place at the Major once again. It’s like watching a phoenix rise from the ashes, or in this case, a German squad that’s been through more changes than a chameleon on a rainbow.

The German team, spearheaded by veteran captain Johannes “tabseN” Wodarz, put on an exhilarating show during the European qualifiers, sparking renewed optimism among German Counter-Strike enthusiasts who have faced tough times recently.

BIG are through to the Major!

For team BIG, the journey back to major competitions has been challenging. They didn’t quite make it to the RMR for the BLAST Paris Major in 2023 and missed out on qualifying for the first major of 2024 in Copenhagen. In response, the team underwent some major transformations.

In February, following another disheartening performance at IEM Katowice, BIG switched their game-communication back to German and reinstated star AWPer Florian “syrsoN” Rische. Additionally, they signed former MOUZ player Jon “JDC” de Castro as a replacement for Mateusz “mantuu” Wilczewski and Elias “s1n” Stein. The decision to remove s1n was met with much criticism, as he was expected to take over as team captain from tabseN in the near future.

In the heat of summer, BIG decided to part company with their long-standing Head Coach Fatih “gob b” Dayik, a highly respected figure within the organization and the German esports community. They opted to bring in David “prosus” Hesse as his replacement, but also recruited the experienced Swiss rifler Rigon “rigoN” Gashi.

In October, the fruits of these alterations became apparent as BIG advanced to the finals at ESL Challenger Atlanta. This positive trend continued during the Shanghai Major qualifying rounds.

The Shanghai RMR – a surprisingly smooth operation

In their initial push for a spot in a Major tournament, Big Clan secured impressive one-game wins over Danish teams Sashi and Heroic, placing them in the 2-0 group.

BIG’s crucial match was against Passion UA, a promising Ukrainian team that managed to beat Team Spirit earlier, securing their place in the pool with a 2-0 score. Both teams had a lot riding on this game; if they won all three, they would qualify directly for the top 16 stage of the Major, avoiding the initial group of 16 teams*.

The series began on Passion UA’s pick, Anubis, where the Ukrainian underdogs edged out BIG 13-9. But on Dust 2, a map synonymous with German Counter-Strike, BIG roared back with a commanding 13-5 win.

.@KrimboCS El Pistolero

— BIG (@BIGCLANgg) November 22, 2024

Karim “Krimbo” Moussa’s 19-kill performance exemplified the team’s dominance.

A third and deciding map was needed, and Mirage was the chosen battleground for it.

A clean Dust 2 gets us into the decider: Mirage

— BIG (@BIGCLANgg) November 22, 2024

In the concluding game, a massive storm contributed to Team A establishing a commanding 6-0 lead from the get-go. Throughout the entire match, their newcomer, rigoN, demonstrated exceptional skill in Counter-Strike, playing flawlessly.

riGOAT

— BIG (@BIGCLANgg) November 22, 2024

But Passion UA were allowed to claw back and leveled the first half at 6-6.

As the game progressed, TenZ’s strategic skills and Big’s teamwork became overwhelmingly dominant. Gradually, Big began to widen the gap between them round after round.

Matchpoint

— BIG (@BIGCLANgg) November 22, 2024


Despite all efforts, BIG proved unstoppable, ultimately clinching a 13-9 win and making a triumphant comeback to the Major tournament.

WINNING MOMENT #GOBIG

— BIG (@BIGCLANgg) November 22, 2024

For enthusiasts of German Counter-Strike, this qualification signifies much more than just a victory – it’s a resurrection. After two challenging years, the BIG Clan has proven that the region retains the ability to contend at the pinnacle of competition.

WE DID IT 3-0! WE’RE BACK MAJOR

— BIG (@BIGCLANgg) November 22, 2024

Having solidified their position, everyone’s attention turns to The Major as BIG strives to maintain its influence on the global esports scene once more. Indeed, German Counter-Strike still has some life left in it!

Based on HLTV’s report, it looks like BIG Clan might not automatically progress to the Top 16 Elimination Stage. Instead, after the European RMR event, all teams from that region could potentially be reshuffled or reseeded.

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2024-11-22 19:09