At the Thunderpick World Championship (TWC), we’ve seen some great comebacks, upsets, and dominance from top teams on the server, as contestants battle it out to ensure a spot in our upcoming Valve-sanctioned Closed Qualifier. We’ve witnessed NAVI Junior rising to the challenge at the EU Series 1, Legacy dominating the NA Series 1, and Imperial Esports smashing their way to the top at the SA Series 1. We are staying in South America for the next one, with the SA Series 2 primed and ready to go.
The TWC 2025 SA Series 2 takes place from July 8 to 13, featuring 12 teams competing for a share of the $25,000 prize pool (1st place gets $20,000, 2nd place gets $5,000) and one coveted spot at the Closed Qualifier.
Based on their rankings in the Valve Regional Standings (VRS), four teams have secured direct invites to the Playoffs Stage, while eight teams will start their journey in the Group Stage. Let’s take a look at the 12 teams competing, starting with the four teams invited to the Playoffs Stage.
Heads-up: Rankings mentioned in this article reflect the VRS as of June 25, 2025, on which the invites were based.
ODDIK
As one of the top-ranked teams at the event (58th on VRS, 34th on HLTV), ODDIK is aiming for that spot in our upcoming Closed Qualifier. The squad demonstrated a high level of skill at SA Series 1, securing a flawless run to the Grand Final with two convincing 2-0 victories. However, they couldn’t seal the deal against Imperial, losing 2-0 for a 2nd-place finish. If ODDIK can quickly recover from the loss, there’s no reason to believe they can’t go all the way.
ODDIK roster:
- Fillipe “pancc” Martins
- João “naitte” Maia
- Italo “ksloks” Meinberg
- Victor “togs” Rapassi
- Adriano “WOOD7” Cerato (IGL)
- Caio “cx1” Coutinho (Coach)
FURIA Female
FURIA Female is one of our direct invites to the Playoffs Stage, ranked 54th on the VRS. They had an electrifying run at ESL Impact League Season 7, where they showed their big-match temperament by beating Supernova Comets with a reverse sweep in the Grand Final.
We can’t wait to see if FURIA Female can bounce back from a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Flamengo Esports in the Quarterfinals of the SA Series 1, and possibly take aim at a podium finish in SA Series 2.
FURIA Female roster:
- Karina “kaahSENSEI” Takahashi
- Gabriela “gabs” Freindorfer
- Bruna “bizinha” Marvila
- Lucia “lulitenz” Dubra
- Izabella “izaa” Galle (IGL)
- Leonardo “msr” Caixeta (Coach)
Fluxo
With legendary Brazilian rifler arT leading the charge, the sky’s the limit for Fluxo at the TWC 2025 SA Series 2. They sit at a respectable 68th on the VRS and 42nd on HLTV’s World Rankings. Young rifler Kye, on loan from FURIA Academy, could be the key to Fluxo’s success. Kye boasts a solid 1.14 Rating in the past three months despite the team’s early exit at the BLAST.tv Austin Major.
Fluxo roster:
- Romeu “zevy” Rocco
- Andrei “arT” Piovezan
- Guilherme “piriajr” Barbosa
- Matheus “mlhzin” Marçola
- Kayke “kye” Bertolucci (On Loan)
- Marcos “tacitus” Castilho (Coach)
Sharks Esports
Ranked 67th on the VRS and 69th on HLTV, Sharks Esports earned a direct invite thanks to some strong playing of late. This includes a recent 3-0 over RED Canids to claim the top spot at the Odyssey Cup Brazil 2025 tournament, making it clear they have what it takes to win in the region.
Sharks Esports roster:
- Daniel “rdnzao” Monteiro
- Danilo “doc” Barros
- João “koala” Pedro
- Rafhael “aNgelo” Nascimento
- Victor “gafolo” Andrade (IGL)
- Hélder “coachi” Sancho (Coach)
BESTIA
As the winner of the SA Series 1 last year and a 5th-8th place finisher at the TWC 2024 main event, BESTIA has proven that they can make deep runs. At the TWC 2025 SA Series 1, they were eliminated in an incredibly close 2-1 match against eventual winners Imperial, suffering a reverse sweep in the Semifinals. Can they go all the way this time around?
BESTIA roster:
- Luciano “luchov” Herrera
- Cássio “cass1n” Santos
- Martín “tomaszin” Corna
- Cristhian “timo” Perez
- Nicolás “Noktse” Dávila (IGL)
- Julian “Zote” Acosta (Coach)
9z Team
Currently ranked 89th in the VRS, 9z Team showed solid form at the SA Series 1 event, topping Group A. Coach BIT appears to be acclimating well after taking over from Yel in June, despite a devastating reverse-sweep loss to BESTIA in the Quarterfinals of the SA Series 1. There’s a good chance they can make it out of the Group Stage yet again, and maybe secure a podium finish.
9z Team roster:
- Matias “HUASOPEEK” Ibañez
- Antonio “Martinez” Martinez
- Luca “Luken” Nadotti
- Adam “adamS” Marian
- Maximiliano “max” Gonzalez (IGL)
- Bruno “BIT” Lima (Coach)
Flamengo Esports
With IGL CutzMeretz making some great calls, Flamengo Esports impressed at the SA Series 1, placing second in Group A and convincingly beating FURIA Female in the Quarterfinals. The only issue was getting knocked out by ODDIK in the Semifinals. Can they take revenge and possibly make it to the Grand Final at the SA Series 2?
Flamengo Esports roster:
- Vinicius “v$m” Moreira
- Ulric “Misfit” Pereira
- Daniel “danoco” Morgado
- Felipe “delboNi” Delboni
- Lucas “CutzMeretz” Freitas (IGL)
- Ramon “RMN” Toledo (Coach)
RED Canids
After topping Group B, RED Canids crashed out of the TWC 2025 SA Series 1, suffering a close 2-0 defeat against finalists ODDIK. Despite the loss, RED Canids remains a formidable South American team on the server, with legendary Major winner coldzera at the forefront with his trusty AWP.
RED Canids roster:
- Marcelo “coldzera” David
- Carlos “venomzera” Dias Junior
- Kaue “kauez” Kaschuk
- Gabriel “ponter” Amaral
- André “drop” Abreu (IGL)
- Gustavo “tge” Motta (Coach)
Bounty Hunters
At the SA Series 1, Bounty Hunters impressed by placing 2nd in Group B. While they got eliminated in the Playoffs by eventual winners Imperial Esports, this squad did manage to push their opponents to overtime on the first map. Unfortunately for them, they lost by the skin of their teeth on the second map.
Bounty Hunters roster:
- Ignacio “meyern” Meyer
- Mauro “zock” Da Silva
- Matheus “Tuurtle” Anhaia
- Leonardo “fREQ” Kurussu
- Gianfranco “KAISER” Pantano (IGL)
- Nicolas “gusihx” Rovira (Coach)
SELVA
Despite an early exit during the Group Stage of SA Series 1, SELVA did show potential, especially on Train. If the all-Brazilian squad can dust themselves off and recover from recent losses, they could put up a good fight!
SELVA roster:
- Gabriel “gbb” Carvalho
- Lucas “destiny” Bullo
- Moisés “tomate” Lima
- Gabriel “nython” Lino
- Majed “slashzz” Ahmad
- Guilherme “Flasky” Amorim (Coach)
Keyd Stars
Ranked 113th on the VRS, there’s a lot of room to improve for Keyd Stars. They had already shown promise at the SA Series 1, winning a match against Game Hunters before being eliminated by Flamengo Esports. Keep in mind that Keyd Stars signed the core of Swingers (vinaabEAST, ninjaZ, and desh), alongside their coach, on June 4, and added leo_dirk and flash to round out the new roster.
Keyd Stars roster:
- Leonardo “leo_drk” Oliveira
- Vinicius “vinaabEAST” Santos
- Emerson “desh” Enrique
- Felipe “flash” Porfirio
- Icaro “ninjaZ” Cavalari (IGL)
- Flávio “exp” Calheiros (Coach)
DESEMPREGUEIDOS
Also known as ex-w4m, before the organization discontinued its CS2 operations at the end of May 2025, the DESEMPREGUEIDOS squad stuck together through thick and thin. They showed promise at the SA Series 1, finishing with a 1-2 record in Group B, where they narrowly lost to RED Canids.
DESEMPREGUEIDOS roster:
- Bruno “shz” Martinelli
- Jhonatan “JOTA” Wilian
- Lucas “urban0” Urbano
- Henrique “t9rnay” Menacho
- Guilherme “levi” Gustavo
- João “horvy” Horvath (Coach)
More TWC 2025 Action Coming Soon
The SA Series 2 is the fourth of six regional events leading up to the Valve-sanctioned Closed Qualifier, which takes place in September and ultimately leads to the main event in October. In the TWC 2025 main event, eight teams (four qualified, four direct invites) will compete on LAN in Malta from Oct. 15 to 19. Competitors will duke it out for their share of the $850,000 prize pool—the largest ever put up by a sportsbook. There’s a lot on the line for all teams competing in these qualifiers, with the path to glory clear as day.
That’s why we’re thrilled to see which team manages to climb to the top of the SA Series 2! Once the event finishes, be sure to check out what’s coming next below:
- NA Series #2
- EU Series #2
Check out our dedicated World Championship landing page and take a peek at the latest CS2 betting odds while you are at it!
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