Hungry for a win and a spot at the Thunderpick World Championship (TWC) 2024, 16 of the best Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) esports teams in the North American region gave it their all at the TWC NA Qualifier 1 event. The single-elimination bracket format meant no second chances, leading to electrifying matches.
If you couldn’t watch the CS2 esports action live, you’re in luck! We’ve gathered our favorite moments from the TWC NA Qualifier 1 for fans to discuss and enjoy.
Remember to check out our CS2 live betting odds on Thunderpick!
Please note: The rankings mentioned in this article reflect HLTV’s expert world rankings at the start of the TWC 2024 NA Qualifier 1.
TWC NA Qualifier 1
4v1 Clutch From reck
With a global ranking of 23rd, M80 was the favorite heading into the tournament, while E-Xolos LAZER was unranked. Despite the firepower difference, we were still in awe when M80’s Ethan “reck” Serrano pulled off a 4v1 clutch in the second round on Ancient.
A 4v1 clutch is rare, but the M80 Rifler made it look easy. M80 demolished E-Xolos LAZER with a 13-5 win on Ancient, closing out the series 2-0. In their following matches, M80 extended their top-notch performance with 2-0 wins against Mythic and Wildcard Gaming to make it to the TWC NA Qualifier 1 Grand Final.
Mythic Reverse-Sweeps Elevate
Everyone loves a good comeback, right? In the first round of the TWC NA Qualifier 1, Mythic pulled off a fantastic reverse sweep. Mythic lost their map pick of Mirage against Elevate with a 13-6 score.
On Vertigo, Mythic bounced back in the first half with a 9-3 lead on the CT side. However, Elevate had other plans and slowly clawed their way back, pushing the second map into overtime. Mythic stabilized themselves expertly to beat Elevate in overtime on Vertigo, scoring a 16-13 win.
It was a back-and-forth battle on the deciding map, Ancient. But Mythic managed to win 13-10, completing the comeback for the first reverse sweep of the TWC NA Qualifier 1.
Junior On Fire
Paytyn “Junior” Johnson got Nouns Esports off to an incredible start at the event with an inspiring performance against Fluffy Aimers. While Nouns did win their match against Fluffy Aimers with a 2-0 scoreline on the tournament’s first day, it was a close call. Fluffly Aimers nearly forced overtime on the second map, Vertigo, but Junior had other plans.
Junior topped the scoreboard when the dust settled with 41 kills and 19 deaths. After their exhilarating win, Nouns Esports beat Party Astronauts 2-0 and reverse sweeped NRG 2-1 to make it to the finale.
The Dualies 4k
The Dual Berettas are rarely used in top-tier Counter-Strike, as there are many alternatives, especially on the CT side with the USP-S as the starter pistol. That didn’t stop Carpe Diem’s Andrew “Tender” Cote, who indeed seized the day in the first round on Inferno to score four kills in quick succession with the “dualies.”
In a 4v2 situation in the pistol round, Tender showcased immense skill to score four kills against Legacy in the Apartments area. Unfortunately for Carpe Diem, Legacy bounced back and won the map 13-7. Due to internet connection issues, Carpe Diem forfeited the second map (11-3 score in favor of Legacy at the time of forfeit).
A Triple Overtime Clash
Few situations in CS2 esports are more exciting than a reverse sweep, especially if overtime on one or more maps accompanies the comeback. In the semifinal, Nouns Esports and NRG treated us to the longest match of the tournament, going the distance in more ways than one.
Both teams were hungry for a spot in the Grand Final, which showed throughout the match. On their map pick of Inferno, NRG got off to a solid start on the T side and finished off Nouns Esports with a score of 13-5. Nouns Esports was only one map loss away from elimination.
On the second map, Mirage, Nouns Esports showed their big match temperament, fighting back against NRG as they were moments away from closing out the match. Nouns Esports pushed NRG into overtime on a map that was too close to call. After a triple overtime clash, Nouns Esports emerged victorious on Mirage with a 22-18 score. With momentum on their side, they beat NRG 13-7 on Nuke to complete the reverse sweep comeback.
Despite losing against Nouns Esports, NRG’s AWPer, Josh “oSee” Ohm, topped the scoreboard with a whopping 65 kills and 46 deaths.
A Dramatic Finale
We couldn’t have dreamed of a better finale than the one produced by Nouns Esports and M80. Despite M80 being the clear favorite against Nouns Esports, the underdogs put up a spectacular fight. In case you missed it, watch the complete Grand Final here.
The TWC NA Qualifier 1 Grand Final was a back-and-forth slugfest, with Nouns Esports shocking fans as they claimed the first map, Mirage, with a 13-11 score.
M80 bounced back on Ancient with a strong start on the T side and finished things up on the CT side for a 13-8 win. One of our favorite moments was Nouns Esports’ Jeorge “Jeorge” Endicott showing his resilience to claw back a round on Inferno with a 2v1 clutch at the A bomb site.
Unfortunately for Nouns Esports, Jeorge’s clutch would be their second-to-last round win on Inferno. M80 completed the comeback with vigor, beating Nouns Esports 13-4 on Inferno and 2-1 in the Grand Final of the TWC NA Qualifier 1.
M80 CS2 Roster
With a mix of US and German players, M80 had the perfect combination of firepower to win the TWC NA Qualifier 1, coupled with UK coach Rory “dephh” Jackson pushing his team to victory.
- Ethan “reck” Serrano
- Michael “Swisher” Schmid
- Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa
- Fritz “slaxz-” Dietrich
- Elias “s1n” Stein (IGL)
Swisher was selected as the TWC NA Qualifier 1 MVP for his dominating performance. Congratulations!
We can’t wait to see M80 compete in the Round of 16 of the TWC 2024 World Finals, which kicks off on Oct. 1, 2024.
TWC NA Qualifier 1 Standings
Let’s take a look at the final TWC 2024 NA Qualifier 1 team standings, including the prize pool distribution.
- 1st place: M80 wins $20,000 and a spot at the TWC 2024.
- 2nd place: Nouns Esports wins $5,000.
- 3rd & 4th place: Wildcard Gaming and NRG.
- 5th to 8th place: Party Astronauts, LAG Gaming, Legacy and Mythic.
- 9th to 16th place: Take Flyte, FLUFFY AIMERS, G3, Carpe Diem, Limitless, E-Xolos LAZER, Elevate and BOSS.
All six TWC 2024 qualifiers feature a prize pool of $25,000. The main event, scheduled for October 2024, features $850,000 in prize money, giving the best CS2 teams a cool $1 million to compete for throughout the qualifiers and main event.
What’s Next For The TWC 2024 Qualifiers?
Did you enjoy the TWC 2024 NA Qualifier 1? We sure did! And if you want more CS2 action, we’ve got some fantastic news: The TWC 2024 NA Qualifier 2 kicks off on June 4, 2024. You can read through our TWC 2024 schedule and prize pool distribution announcement if you missed it, and be sure to check out our CS2 live betting odds on Thunderpick!
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