In April 2024, IEM Chengdu brought Counter-Strike 2's elite to China for a semifinal bracket that promised both star power and tactical intrigue. The final four featured MOUZ, G2, Astralis, and FaZe Clan, with the first match scheduled for midnight PST on Saturday, April 13, followed by Astralis versus FaZe at 3:15 a.m. PST. Although the event is now part of CS2 history, its storylines remain a useful lens for understanding team form, pressure, and preparation in the modern game. The bracket set up a clash between rising consistency and veteran experience, while also giving fans a rare look at Astralis under new leadership.
MOUZ vs G2: Youth Meets Experience
MOUZ and G2 entered as the fifth- and sixth-ranked teams in the world according to HLTV. Both had consistently made playoff runs in top tournaments, but neither had lifted a CS2 trophy yet. MOUZ had at least reached a grand final at CS Asia Championships in November, while G2 had never advanced past the semifinals since CS2 launched. That context added weight to the opening match.
MOUZ's path was smoother. They went perfect in the group stage: a 13-11 win over TYLOO on Overpass, a reverse sweep of FURIA (8-13 on Nuke, 16-14 on Vertigo, 13-9 on Mirage), and a 2-0 victory over Team Liquid (13-11 on Inferno, 13-6 on Mirage). That earned them a direct semifinal spot.
G2 had to survive the lower bracket. They beat 9z on Nuke, lost 1-2 to Liquid (6-13 Ancient, 13-10 Anubis, 9-13 Inferno), then recovered with clean wins over Lynn Vision (13-8 Anubis, 13-9 Inferno) and HEROIC (13-10 Ancient, 16-13 Nuke). In the quarterfinals, G2 defeated Virtus.pro 2-0 (13-6 Anubis, 13-10 Overpass).
| Team | Group Stage / Playoff Path | Key Strength |
|---|---|---|
| MOUZ | 3-0 group stage; direct to semifinal | Team cohesion, young firepower |
| G2 | Lower bracket survival; quarterfinal win over Virtus.pro | Veteran composure, m0NESY and NiKo |
Pressure was expected to be a major factor. G2's average player age was 26, compared with MOUZ's 20.5, and that experience often matters in high-stakes semifinals. The match likely hinged on star players. G2's AWPer Ilya m0NESY Osipov was stellar throughout IEM Chengdu, and rifler Nikola NiKo Kovač contributed heavily in fragging. MOUZ's best performer was prodigy Jimi Jimpphat Salo, but his main sidekicks Dorian xertioN Berman and Ádám torzsi Torzsás were not yet matching the impact of m0NESY or NiKo. If MOUZ could not find a second consistent threat, G2 looked poised to reach its first CS2 grand final.
Astralis vs FaZe: The Device Era Meets the Karrigan Machine
FaZe Clan were nearly impossible to ignore as the best CS2 team in the world at that point. After transitioning from CS:GO, they won their first three tournaments in the new game and then finished runners-up in four consecutive opportunities. Their consistency was unmatched, and karrigan had led them to seven grand finals in a row in CS2.
Astralis, by contrast, arrived in Chengdu in turmoil. The Danish team had reached only one semifinal, at CS Asia Championships in November, and failed to qualify for the PGL Copenhagen Major in March. That meant missing the first CS2 Major and the first Major ever held in Denmark. The organization benched in-game leader Benjamin blameF Bremer, signed Alexander br0 Bro, and moved device to the captain role for the first time in his career.
The move worked better than almost anyone expected. Under device, Astralis posted a 71% round win rate in the group stage, winning 65 rounds and losing only 26. They did not drop a single map. They steamrolled Steel Helmet 13-2 on Ancient, handled FaZe 13-7 on Ancient and 13-4 on Nuke, and swept Virtus.pro 13-6 on Overpass and 13-7 on Vertigo. A 3-0 record sent them directly to the semifinals. Individually, stavn and device were among the highest-rated players of the event, with Jakob jabbi Nygaard not far behind.
FaZe had to fight through the lower bracket. They beat Nemiga 13-8 on Inferno, lost to Astralis, then posted 2-0 wins over Cloud9 (13-4 Overpass, 13-11 Nuke) and Flyquest (13-4 Ancient, 13-10 Nuke). In the quarterfinals, FaZe outlasted Liquid 2-1 (16-13 Nuke, 11-13 Anubis, 13-10 Mirage). The fragging trio of David frozen Čerňanský, Robin ropz Kool, and Helvijs broky Saukants performed as usual, with karrigan contributing solid statistics from the veteran role.
Prediction and Legacy
Despite Astralis's impressive group stage, there was reason for skepticism. Before IEM Chengdu, nobody knew how Astralis would perform under device's leadership. Once they played several maps, opponents could begin to anti-strat them. That was bad news against karrigan, one of the best match preparers in Counter-Strike history. FaZe had also reached every possible grand final in CS2, making a semifinal stumble against Astralis feel unlikely. The expectation was that FaZe would advance, while G2 would edge MOUZ if m0NESY and NiKo kept delivering.
In 2026, the CS2 scene has continued to evolve, but IEM Chengdu 2024 remains a memorable case study in how roster changes, veteran leadership, and star power shape best-of-three semifinals. The bracket showed that group-stage dominance does not guarantee playoff success, and that experience can be a decisive weapon when the pressure peaks. For fans and analysts alike, the semifinals offered a clear reminder: in Counter-Strike 2, preparation and adaptability often decide who lifts the trophy.