The tournament saw its ninth and tenth eliminations as Aurora and BetBoom Team bowed out, leaving Xtreme Gaming as the last non-European Dota 2 team standing.

Aurora faced Xtreme Gaming in a fierce lower bracket showdown.

Game one was a one-sided stomp in favour of XG, but game two was much more competitive.

Aurora’s Anucha “Jabz” Jirawong debuted the first Lycan pick of the tournament, using Alpha Wolves and a Nullifier to counter XG’s Pugna.

On the other side, Wang “Ame” Chunyu’s Faceless Void constantly pressured Aurora’s Artem “lorenof” Melnick on Storm Spirit, neutralising his impact.

Despite Aurora’s valiant efforts to hold out for nearly an hour, XG’s aggression proved too much, ending Aurora’s run with a seventh-eighth place finish and marking the end of South-east Asia’s presence at TI13.

It was the final series for Aurora at The International 2024, as they have been eliminated by Xtreme Gaming. Despite their efforts, Aurora’s journey ends here. #Dota2 #TI13 pic.twitter.com/ELYYL8nHVh

— The International (@dota2ti) September 13, 2024

Meanwhile, BetBoom Team also met their end at the hands of Team Falcons.

The series was tightly contested, with game two being particularly intense.

After a strong early-game performance from Falcons, BetBoom fought back with a high-ground defence led by their safelane Medusa, who bought a Divine Rapier to turn the tide.

However, a critical misplay during a push—where Medusa had her Black King Bar (BKB) in her backpack—led to her being taken down twice.

This swung the game in Falcons’ favour, and they closed out the series, eliminating BetBoom from the tournament.

Falcons’ Andreas “Cr1t-” Nielsen, a veteran of The International, reflected on the win and the experience of playing alongside debutant mid-laner Stanislav “Malr1ne” Potorak, praising his energy and adaptability.

BB Team couldn't keep up with the pace set by Falcons, and it's time for them to exit the tournament. #Dota2 #TI13 pic.twitter.com/dZRHM9cxks

— The International (@dota2ti) September 13, 2024

As the tournament continued, the upper bracket saw dominant performances from some of the top teams.

Team Liquid faced off against Cloud9 in a two-game series.

Game one was all Liquid, as they dominated from start to finish.

Game two; however, saw Cloud9 put up a stronger fight.

At one point, Cloud9 even took down a tier 4 tower, but Liquid’s buybacks and a miraculous play from Micha? “Nisha” Jankowski on Puck turned the tide, securing Liquid’s spot in the upper bracket finals.

Gaimin Gladiators then took on Tundra Esports in another upper bracket semifinal.

The Gladiators showcased their prowess, with Erik “tOfu” Engel on Lone Druid and Quinn on Storm Spirit leading the charge.

Game one was one-sided, but game two was even more of a rout, with GG cruising to a 26-3 victory in just 24 minutes.

With BetBoom and Aurora eliminated, Xtreme Gaming remains the only non-European team in the tournament.

XG will face Tundra Esports in the lower bracket, while Team Falcons take on Cloud9.

At the top, Team Liquid and Gaimin Gladiators are set to clash in the upper bracket finals, ensuring both teams a spot in the top three.

As The International 2024 continues, each remaining team fights to have their names immortalised on the Aegis of Champions, with millions of fans watching their every move.

Gaimin Gladiators put on a dominant display against Tundra, securing their spot in the Upper Bracket Final. They will now face Team Liquid #Dota2 #TI13 pic.twitter.com/lP5zv2vBxc

— The International (@dota2ti) September 13, 2024

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The tournament will feature 16 of the best Counter-Strike 2 teams from around the world, competing for the lion’s share of the US$1,000,000 total prize pool, which includes the US$150,000 that was on offer for each of the six qualifiers.

The event kicks off with an online stage from October 21-26, where teams will battle in a single-elimination best-of-three bracket.

The top four teams will then advance to the LAN finals in Berlin.

The LAN event will follow the same format, concluding with a third-place decider match.

Six teams have already qualified for the tournament: Cloud9 and BLEED Esports from Europe, Legacy and M80 from North America, and BESTIA and Imperial from South America.

They will be joined by 10 invited teams, with Team Falcons, Heroic, Fnatic, and BIG among the first announced.

This is the second edition of the Thunderpick World Championship, with FaZe Clan winning last year’s entirely online event and claiming the $250,000 top prize.

This year’s prize pool has increased, with $500,000 reserved for the winner.

After a break following the online stage, the LAN finals promise to deliver two days of intense CS2 action.

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Cloud9, after a tough 3-1 loss to FlyQuest, found themselves in the lower bracket, while 100 Thieves rebounded from their defeat to Team Liquid by edging out Dignitas in a closely contested series.

The match began with 100 Thieves drawing first blood, outclassing Cloud9 to take a 1-0 lead.

However, Cloud9 quickly responded to even the series at 1-1 heading into the third game.

Game 3 was a struggle for Cloud9, especially with Joseph “Jojopyun” Pyun on LeBlanc, as 100 Thieves took the lead again, going up 2-1.

In the final game, Cloud9 appeared lost, leading to a 1-3 series defeat and their elimination from the LCS Summer 2024, marking a heartbreaking miss at Worlds for the once-dominant team.

The victory for 100 Thieves secured their spot at Worlds 2024 and propelled them to the LCS Summer 2024 lower final, where they will face FlyQuest for a place in the grand final.

100 Thieves qualify for Worlds and #LCS Championship weekend #100WIN pic.twitter.com/FDWmLrmFmW

— LCS (@LCSOfficial) September 1, 2024

This win was particularly special for rookie player Rayan “Sniper” Shoura, who gave a shoutout to his brother and his family following the match.

Sniper, in his first year in the LCS, is now set to showcase his skills on the LoL Worlds stage, expressing his excitement to face T1’s Choi “Zeus” Woo-je.

Cloud9’s elimination is a significant upset in the LCS, especially given their consistent presence at Worlds for over a decade.

Despite a strong Summer Split, their hopes for redemption were shattered by 100 Thieves, who delivered standout performances, particularly from Lim “Quid” Hyeon-seung and Frank “Tomo” Lam.

Reflecting on the series, Quid remarked that 100 Thieves outplayed Cloud9 in terms of macro, even in their one loss.

100 Thieves’ journey to Worlds is a remarkable turnaround after a difficult summer split, where they suffered four consecutive losses.

Many had written them off, but after a critical win over Dignitas in the playoffs, they found their rhythm.

Support star Bill “Eyla” Nguyen credited the team’s mid-season work for their resurgence, which ultimately led to their victory over Cloud9.

As 100 Thieves prepares to take on FlyQuest, Cloud9 is left to reflect on what went wrong this season.

With changes already made before summer, including the departure of Coach Alfonso “Mithy” Aguirre Rodríguez and veteran top laner Ibrahim “Fudge” Allami, it’s unclear what the future holds for the team as they face their second-ever miss at Worlds.

Meanwhile, 100 Thieves will aim to continue their momentum, hoping to challenge Team Liquid’s undefeated Summer Split in the grand final.

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This marks FlyQuest’s first World Championship appearance in four years, and they did it in style, taking down one of the LCS’s most storied teams.

FlyQuest’s journey to this victory wasn’t straightforward.

After finishing third in the LCS Summer regular season with a 5-2 record, FlyQuest fell to Cloud9 0-2 on the final day.

However, their thirst for revenge was evident in the playoffs.

Despite losing the first game of the series, FlyQuest looked dominant throughout, nearly clinching the win in map one before Cloud9 managed a narrow comeback.

From that point on, it was all FlyQuest.

In the following maps, FlyQuest took control, winning maps two and three in long but convincing fashion.

The final map, however, was a masterclass in dominance.

FlyQuest dismantled Cloud9 in just 26 minutes with a perfect 14-0 kill score, leaving Cloud9 without a single kill.

A significant contributor to FlyQuest’s victory was mid laner Song “Quad” Su-hyeong, who celebrated his 22nd birthday by putting on an exceptional performance.

Quad achieved a 25-5 kill/death score over the series, with a standout nine-kill performance in Game 2 on Smolder.

His 81% kill participation underscored his critical role in FlyQuest’s success.

But it wasn’t just Quad who shone.

Top laner Gabri?l “Bwipo” Rau rebounded from a difficult start to hold his own in a Renekton vs. K’Sante battle against C9’s Park “Thanatos” Seung-gyu.

Meanwhile, jungler Kacper “Inspired” S?oma secured a crucial baron steal on map three, shifting the momentum decisively in FlyQuest’s favour.

After the match, Inspired highlighted the team’s growth in coordination, stating, “The team is finally doing only coordinated plays; in this game and the whole series, we never took a fight when we didn’t need to.”

This win sends FlyQuest to the upper bracket final against Team Liquid on Saturday, August 31.

Although their primary goal of reaching LoL Worlds is secured, FlyQuest is far from complacent.

Inspired acknowledged the challenge ahead, noting that Team Liquid is equally adept at controlled gameplay, making their upcoming match anything but easy.

Welcome to #LCS Championship weekend, FlyQuest #FLYWIN pic.twitter.com/VmkmfQIhTr

— LCS (@LCSOfficial) August 25, 2024

Cloud9, on the other hand, now faces a critical test.

After falling to FlyQuest, they’ll await the winner of Dignitas vs. 100 Thieves for a do-or-die match on Sunday, September 1, to claim the final LCS spot at Worlds.

Despite their recent struggles, Cloud9 remains a formidable opponent, having attended ten of the past eleven World Championships.

However, they’ll need to regroup quickly and address the mistakes that plagued them in this series to keep their streak alive.

FlyQuest’s victory not only avenges their regular season loss to Cloud9 but also cements their resurgence in the LCS.

As they prepare to face Team Liquid, fans can expect a thrilling encounter between two of the top teams in North America.

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BIG and GamerLegion last met during Thunderpick World Championship 2024: European Series #1 in April, when BIG won in two maps. But that was before roster changes on both sides, so that result should not hold much weight.

According to the Counter-Strike betting sites, this is BIG’s game to lose, but neither squad has posted great results of late. BIG exited Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2024 with a 1-2 record and two losses against SAW and Team Falcons.

In contrast, GamerLegion’s last significant competitive endeavour ended with a last-place finish at BLAST Premier Fall Groups 2024. Since then, they have picked up a few wins, albeit mainly against second-division squads such as Zero Tenacity, SINNERS Esports, and 1win.

That would indicate Erik “ztr” Gustafsson and co. are in good form, but since they have not beaten any good teams lately, we should give this game to BIG.

Cloud9 have not achieved much since reaching the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 playoffs in March. They did enough to finish top two at Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2024: European Open Qualifier #2 last weekend, but that came after exiting the BetBoom Dacha Belgrade 2024 #2: European Qualifier in fifth-eighth place earlier this month.

PaiN Gaming have clawed their way to No.16 in the world standings by finishing top eight at IEM Cologne 2024 last week. The Brazilians have looked competitive at the top level for a while, and even though they’ve not beaten any elite teams, that doesn’t mean they will struggle on Friday.

Cloud9’s recent form makes it fair to question whether they should be considered a good team. And while they have enough talent to do better, we must first see it to believe it.

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The match required triple overtime to close out Ancient with a 22-20 scoreline, followed by a dominant 13-6 win on Virtus.pro’s Dust2 pick.

The Dutch Counter-Strike organisation recently underwent a significant overhaul, replacing Casper “?cadiaN?” M?ller, Felipe “?skullz?” Medeiros, and head coach Wilton “?zews?” Prado with Justin “?jks?” Savage, Roland “?ultimate?” Tomkowiak, and former Apeks coach Torbj?rn “?mithR?” Nyborg.

This was the jks’ first official match since being benched from G2 Esports in October 2023.

The relatively unknown ultimate joined the team after impressing players in Europe’s tier-three scene and passing the eye test of Russel “?Twistzz?” Van Dulken.

Twistzz, the 24-year-old Canadian, took up leadership duties as part of the overhaul, raising questions about his ability to maintain top-rated performances while guiding the team.

However, Liquid excelled in their first test against Virtus.pro.

The series started with both teams tied at 4-4 on Ancient, but jks and Mareks “?YEKINDAR?” Ga?inskis propelled Liquid to an 8-4 lead on the T-side and quickly reached map point in the second half, 12-7.

Dzhami “?Jame?” Ali’s clutch plays fueled a Virtus.pro comeback, leading to overtime.

In overtime, ultimate stepped up and carried Liquid to victory.

On Dust2, Virtus.pro initially led 4-1, but Twistzz’s secondary AWP and Keith “?NAF?” Markovic’s stellar B defence turned the tide.

Liquid led 7-5 at the half and dominated the second half, with Twistzz’s eco kills and a crucial 1vs3 clutch securing the win.

.@TeamLiquidCS pick up the victory on their debut #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/LajngaRPpQ

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) July 31, 2024

Meanwhile, in Group C, Cloud9 pursued their first victory with a new lineup but fell to FaZe Clan in overtime.

Sergey “?Ax1Le?” Rykhtorov, Kaisar “?ICY?” Faiznurov, and Nikita “?HeavyGod?” Martynenko formed a formidable trio.

Despite a strong defence on Dust2 and a comeback attempt, FaZe triumphed with a strong performance from David “?frozen?” ?erňansky on Mirage.

Frozen, who struggled on Inferno, excelled in the decider, helping FaZe secure their spot in the upper bracket final.

.@FaZeEsports secure victory on the opening day of Group C! #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/TB7miVYtpy

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) July 31, 2024

Meanwhile, G2 Esports and Natus Vincere took care of their opening round fixtures against Ninjas in Pyjamas and BIG, respectively.

Both Esports World Cup finalists recorded relatively straight-forward 2-0 victories in their clashes, with NaVi setting up an intriguing upper bracket final against Team Liquid and G2 meeting FaZe Clan.

Thursday’s Fall Groups matches

• FaZe Clan (+125) vs G2 Esports (-175.44) @ 12pm CEST
• Cloud9 (-151.52) vs Ninjas in Pyjamas (+110) @ 2:30pm CEST
• Natus Vincere (-277.78) vs Team Liquid (+200) @ 5pm CEST
• BIG (+240) vs Virtus.pro (-333.33) @ 7:30pm CEST

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FaZe Clan are the No.6 Counter-Strike team in the world and enter this tournament as outright favourites to win Group C. However, they have played just two games since the summer break and did not look great in either, beating FlyQuest but losing to Natus Vincere.

Cloud9 announced roster changes at the start of July, adding Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko, Kaisar “ICY” Faiznurov, and Timofey “interz” Yakushin to form a lineup that should be competitive at the highest level. However, we have yet to see the new-look roster play, as Cloud9’s last official match happened at the end of April.

Rust will play a factor in this series, and while FaZe Clan should win, Cloud9 have enough raw talent to push Intel Extreme Masters Chengdu 2024 champions to their limit.

G2 Esports’ new project with Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski and Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa managed to place second at the Esports World Cup 2024 in their official debut. But perhaps G2’s run in Saudi Arabia worked out a bit too well and it could be attributed to a honeymoon phase.

Ninjas in Pyjamas are still looking for their stride, having now failed to claim a trophy in 10 consecutive tournaments. Even more concerning is their fifth-eighth finish at RES European Series #6 just over a week ago.

It is fair to feel dubious about G2 Esports’ ceiling, but it’s hard to justify taking Ninjas in Pyjamas’ side in this contest, even at the offered betting odds.

Virtus.pro acquired a new coach, Andrey “XomA” Mironenko, from 9Pandas in June and have since appeared in one tournament, reaching the semifinals of the Esports World Cup. It was a promising display and a continuation of VP’s solid run at BLAST Premier Spring Final 2024 last month.

Team Liquid, like most top-tier teams, decided to make some roster changes this month, adding Roland “ultimate” Tomkowiak, Justin “jks” Savage, and ex-Apeks coach Torbj?rn “mithR” Nyborg to the lineup. These additions should make Liquid considerably stronger if the new members gel well, yet there is no guarantee that will happen.

Virtus.pro posted a solid run earlier this month, but it is hard to make any firm conclusions based on just three games played. They should still win, but it will not be an easy match.

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Cloud9 have picked up two victories in the opening weeks of LCS 2024 Summer. They had to earn their win against Dignitas in Week 1 but had an easier time beating Immortals on Saturday.

As one of the leading teams on the outright LoL betting markets, Cloud9 deserve respect, but we’re looking at a short price. The LCS is much closer quality-wise than other top LoL esports regions, so even though Cloud9 are the better team, it’s hard to justify these odds.

Shopify Rebellion were crushed by Immortals last week and didn’t show much against Team Liquid on Sunday either. But this is not so much taking the side of the stronger team as it is playing the price.

Cloud9 haven’t been flawless this split, and while they likely win this series, taking the underdogs to keep the first map within nine kills is a much more appealing play.

Dignitas are 1-1 with a loss against Cloud9 in the first week and a fairly convincing 2-0 sweep of 100 Thieves on Saturday. FlyQuest have managed the same record, with a defeat against Team Liquid and a close victory against NRG.

Considering what the two teams have shown so far, it’s surprising to see FlyQuest priced as -285.71 favourites. They’re offside for this series and have not demonstrated the elite-level performances you’d expect from a team with such a price tag.

Long-term, FlyQuest should outperform Dignitas, but there aren’t many reasons not to take the underdogs at over +200 with the best LoL betting sites.

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Cloud9 have done well in the group stage, winning five out of six games. However, they have managed just one clean sweep — against MiBR — and haven’t looked amazing in any of their wins.

G2 Esports managed just three wins in the group stage, beating Evil Geniuses in the first week, FURIA in the third, and MiBR in the fourth. But even though they won all three games without dropping a map, those victories don’t count for much.

None of those three teams made it to the playoffs, suggesting that G2 Esports are hardly more than gatekeepers. However, Cloud9 haven’t looked amazing in their victories either and have hardly shown more over the last two weeks than G2.

This match looks much closer to 50-50 than what the esports betting odds suggest, making G2 Esports a solid bet at outsider odds.

LOUD made a miraculous comeback in the final two weeks of VCT 2024 Americas Stage 1 to secure the spot in the playoffs. After going 0-3 with defeats against NRG, Cloud9 and KRU Esports, LOUD took down Sentinels and G2 Esports with two dominant performances.

Much of LOUD’s late resurgence can be attributed to Felipe “Less” Basso, who posted 1.20 and 1.67 performance ratings across the last two series. But he isn’t the only LOUD player who has started playing better recently.

100 Thieves looked very competitive throughout the group stage with wins against G2 Esports, Cloud9, and NRG. While they have been more consistent than LOUD, they’ve not shown the same heights.

100 Thieves can be considered the safer pick, but LOUD’s recent resurgence makes them a scary team to bet against. With their high ceiling and improved form, -135.14 is more than a fair offer.

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Alongside this, the organization has parted ways with assistant coach Ivan “F_1N” Kochugov.

The decision leaves Cloud9 with only two active members: Kirill “Boombl4” Mikhailov and Sergey “Ax1Le” Rykhtorov.

It was a great pleasure to compete alongside players of your caliber, @HObbitcsgo and @perfectocsgo

We wish you nothing but success in your future endeavors pic.twitter.com/YprNIe5gGR

— Cloud9 CS (@C9CSGO) April 22, 2024

Despite the departures, CEO Jack Etienne confirmed via Twitter that Cloud9 is committed to rebuilding the team around Boombl4 and Ax1Le.

This restructuring follows a turbulent period for Cloud9, which started with the departure of Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov to Team Spirit earlier in the year.

The team struggled with an unorthodox no-AWPer approach, culminating in disappointing results such as a first-round playoff exit at the hands of Team Vitality at the Copenhagen Major and poor showings at IEM Katowice and IEM Chengdu.

HObbit joined Cloud9 in April 2022 and achieved success with the team, including winning IEM Dallas and reaching a peak ranking of number three in the world.

Perfecto, signed in July 2023 alongside Denis “electroNic” Sharipov from Natus Vincere, maintained a solid performance despite the team’s struggles, often having to take up the AWP role on certain maps.

Cloud9 now faces a rebuilding phase ahead of their next tournament at BetBoom Dacha Belgrade, where they will compete alongside Spirit and MOUZ.

The organization is open to transfer offers for Perfecto and HObbit, signaling a shift in their roster strategy.

Etienne’s reassurance on the organization’s subreddit emphasizes their commitment to the CS2 roster’s future, focusing on the core duo of Boombl4 and Ax1Le alongside coach Konstantin “groove” Pikiner.

The mutual decision aspect of Perfecto and HObbit’s benching, though not included in the initial English announcement, was clarified in a Telegram post in Russian.

The recent departure of electroNic to Virtus.pro marked the beginning of these changes, with Cloud9 opting for a fresh start after the super team failed to live up to expectations.

Despite initial promise, various roster adjustments and unexpected departures hindered their potential, leading to the current rebuilding phase.

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