The CS2 Copenhagen Major Pick'em Ultimate Guide

The first-ever CS2 Major starts in less than a week but fans around the world are even more excited about the announcement of the Teams and Players stickers alongside the Pick'em Challenge, where we can all play the analyst role and try to predict who is going to qualify for the next stage.

We at Strafe worked our way into simulating the Challenger stage of the Copenhagen Major and we want to share with you our thought process so you can make better guesses and qualify for the next stage!

What is and how do the Pick'ems Challenge work?

The Pick'em Challenge provides fans with an interactive and engaging way to participate in the tournament. Participants are tasked with predicting match winners and overall tournament outcomes. These predictions are made through an in-game interface prior to each phase, adding a layer of anticipation and strategy to the experience.

Successful predictions in the Pick'em Challenge can earn participants exclusive in-game rewards. This not only incentivizes active participation but also fosters a sense of community among fans as they compete against each other to demonstrate their knowledge of the game.

How do I take part in the Pick'ems?

To enter the Pick'em Challenge, players can buy a Pass from the in-game store or Steam marketplace, priced at approximately $10, converted to your local currency. With this pass, they can forecast match outcomes in the tournament. They must choose the winning team for each match, and their accuracy earns them points. Always make sure you are spending money you can afford to lose, since there isn't financial returns attached to this challenge.

How do I know which teams to pick?

If you're taking part in the Pick'em Challenge for the Copenhagen 2024 Major, there are many places you can look for help with your picks. You can find tips and predictions all over the internet, just like what we're doing here. Another way to get information is by watching old matches and tournaments to see which teams and players have been doing well.

It's also a good idea to keep an eye on any changes in teams or if players get hurt, because these things can really change how well a team does. In the end, it's up to you to decide which teams you think will do the best, so make sure you do your research and use all the help you can find to make smart choices.

The Swiss format and the variance it provides

One of the most entertaining aspects of trying to predict who is going to win the game is, of course, the surprise factor. Majors are played in the Swiss Format (meaning that most games are best-of-one, only qualification and elimination matches are best-of-three) and there is a lot of variance in the matchups. In other words, there are multiple factors within a BO1 that can make the weaker team pull an upset. We have also taken that into consideration before simulating the results so we will divide our picks in three different categories:

1. Solid picks - Stronger team to win, only a miracle to result in upset;
2. Equal matchups - Game can go either way, but we need to choose one;
3. Upset - While many wouldn't pick them, we will because there will ALWAYS be surprises;

Simulating the Challenger Stage before the Pick'ems Challenge

There are many tools available to dig deeper into the Challenger stage of the Copenhagen Major and we at Strafe used this one to help us predict the matches and their winners. One thing that is always good to remember is how the Swiss Format is prone to upsets and while we will do our best in this prediction, we will most likely make a mistake or two (or miss it all)

Opening round - Little to no surprises for us

1. Solid picks
   1. Cloud9 x Ecstatic
   2. Eternal Fire x The Mongolz
   3. Heroic x Lynn Vision
   4. 9Pandas x Amkal
   5. SAW x KOI
2. Equal Matchups
   1. Ence x Imperial
   2. Apeks x Pain
   3. Furia x Legacy

Second round - Trying to use reason but considering upsets

1. Solid picks
   1. Apeks x Heroic
   2. Ence x 9Pandas
2. Equal matchups
   1. Cloud9 x Furia
   2. Eternal Fire x Saw
   3. Imperial x Amkal
   4. Pain x Lynn Vision
3. Upsets
   1. Ecstatic x Legacy
   2. The Mongolz x KOI

Third round - BO3s begin, BO1s to still vary a lot

1. Solid picks
   1. Cloud9 x Pain
   2. Apeks x Ecstatic
   3. Saw x The Mongolz
2. Equal matchups
   1. Eternal Fire x Furia
   2. Ence x Heroic
   3. 9Pandas x Imperial
   4. Legacy x Amkal
   5. KOI x Lynn Vision

Fourth round - BO3s only now

1. Solid picks
   1. Ence x Cloud9
   2. Koi x Ecstatic
   3. Imperial x Pain
2. Equal matchups
   1. 9Pandas x Furia
   2. Apeks x Saw
   3. The Mongolz x Legacy

Final round - The last chance

1. Solid picks
   1. Furia x KOI
   2. Cloud9 x The Mongolz
2. Equal matchups
   1. Apeks x Imperial

Result of the Challenger Stage matchups

Best strategy when setting your picks on the Pick'em Challenge

Since you need to make AT LEAST 5 correct guesses out of the 10 teams going to the Predictions (2 teams to go 3-0, 6 teams to advance, 2 teams to go 0-3), our primary objective is to ensure we hit that pre-requisite, so we are going to put ALL QUALIFIED TEAMS in the advance tab, making a long shot bet on the 3-0 spot. The reason is simple: if the team you chose to go 3-0 loses ONE match, you miss this pick both on the 3-0 and on the advancing teams. We will not take the risk. Both 3-0 and 0-3 are VERY HARD to hit and should be used to try and predict a HUGE UPSET. Because of that, here's how we are going:

1. Teams to go 3-0: Apeks, 9Pandas
2. 6 teams advancing to Legends:
   1. Eternal Fire
   2. Heroic
   3. Ence
   4. SAW
   5. Cloud9
   6. Furia
3. Teams to go 0-3: Lynn Vision, Amkal

With that, we end our comprehensive analysis around the CS2 Copenhagen Major Pick'em Challenge hoping that you like what you see and that we provide as much useful information as possible. Remember that the number one priority should always be to have fun and enjoy the journey so don't take it too serious if results don't go your way. It is important to reinforce, however, that this is a qualitative exercise and there is no way to ensure the outcomes we are expecting in our picks as we have no control over what happens in the server.

We are witnessing a historical Counter-Strike moment as we approach the first ever CS2 Major and it is our wish that, based on everything you read, you manage to make solid picks for this Challenger stage and make the cut to progress to the Legends stage, where we will also be here to provide insights and information around the Pick'em Challenge.

Feature image credits: Majors.im

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