Pick’Em Challenge Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024: Opening Stage. Update Overview Before the Shanghai Major
Two days before the start of the Opening Stage, on November 28, 2024, the developers released a long-awaited update tied to the Shanghai Major. The game finally received tournament-related items and the opportunity to make predictions through the traditional Pick’Em Challenge. Let’s dive into what VALVE has brought us in this update and finish with our predictions for the 8 teams advancing to the Elimination Stage.
Team Stickers and Player Autographs: But What About Keychains?
Following the Arsenal operation, many players anticipated refreshed tournament cosmetics for Counter-Strike’s flagship event. Some influencers even hoped for the introduction of team keychains, either as a replacement for stickers or as an additional collectible. Honestly, this seemed overly optimistic—expecting such changes from VALVE was unrealistic. However, if you still hold faith in VALVE, there’s a chance keychains might be added for the top 8 teams reaching the playoffs. Recall that during the 2021 Stockholm Major, only the top 8 teams received autographs. Could history repeat itself with keychains?
In reality, what we got was the same content as the Copenhagen Major. Is this surprising? Not really, but it still leaves a slight feeling of disappointment. Looking at various Steam Workshop sticker concepts, there was some hope for a new design. In practice, not only did the design stay unchanged, but even the placement of the tournament name on the stickers remained the same. On the bright side, this background-free style remains the most popular, and VALVE isn’t the type to take unnecessary risks. Thus, it’s a logical decision, but it’s unclear when we’ll see any major changes in this area.
To be fair, there is a notable innovation: the design of player autographs. This year, all players were required to sign their names on paper manually, and these signatures were directly transferred onto the stickers. Initially, there were concerns that this approach might eliminate unique or interesting designs. In reality, the results were impressive. The modified design, featuring slightly embossed autographs, looks more expressive than most previous versions. Moreover, this process required players to prepare for the signature submission, leading to a more polished final product.
Pass and Tournament Medal
The pass pricing remains unchanged: $9.99 for the standard version and $17.99 for the version with three tokens to redeem souvenir packages from matches. The Pick’Em Challenge mechanics are also identical to the slightly updated system from the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024. Players must predict two teams to finish the stage 3-0, six teams to finish 3-1 or 3-2, and two teams to go 0-3. Each correct prediction earns an upgraded tournament coin, featuring a dragon design, ranging from bronze to diamond. While the shape and design of the coin remain the same, the Shanghai Major edition is arguably the most attractive of recent tournaments.
Item Rentals from Cases: Market Implications
You can now rent items for 7 days from any weapon case for the cost of a single case opening. Previously, this feature was only available for new cases introduced in CS2, such as the Gallery and Kilowatt cases. Speculation about renting high-value items like Dragon Lore souvenirs quickly arose, but this feature is limited to weapon cases only. While renting a $1,700 souvenir package might sound intriguing, it’s unlikely anyone would spend such a large sum on a temporary item.
Essentially, this creates a case-opening scenario with zero ROI. Not only is there no chance of recouping your investment, but you won’t even regain a fraction of the cost. In our view, this won’t disrupt the market but will instead bolster VALVE’s already substantial revenue. Paradoxically, this might increase the value of skins on the marketplace and raise case prices. With fewer skins entering circulation, market listings will decrease, reducing competition-driven price drops. At the same time, the appeal of owning a permanent inventory item remains strong. Knives are still unavailable for rent, so the pursuit of gold-tier items continues.
Pick'Em Challenge Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024: Opening Stage
Now, the exciting part—predictions for the Major’s Opening Stage. To earn the tournament medal, you need at least 5 correct picks. Remember, VALVE’s changes to the prediction mechanics last year mean you can no longer place strong teams in the 3-1 bracket and earn points if they go 3-0. Predictions have become more challenging, requiring the use of a “simulator” to project matchups based on previous results.
Based on likely outcomes, we predict FURIA and Complexity to face off for a spot in the Elimination Stage. While North Americans may seem favored, we suggest placing both teams in the 3-0 bracket to secure at least one point.
For the rest, we recommend focusing on strong teams that performed well in the RMR qualifiers. Some teams have been in China for over two weeks, so concerns about adaptation are minimal. Their primary goal—qualifying for stickers—has been achieved, and individual skill and teamwork will determine the rest.
Unfortunately for Chinese team Rare Atom, home-field advantage won’t be enough, making them top candidates for elimination. We paired them with Wildcard in the 0-3 bracket, as Wildcard appears to be the weakest roster despite their 3-0 run in the American RMR.
Elimination Stage Predictions:
- 3-0: FURIA, Complexity
- 3-1 or 3-2: Virtus.pro, Team Liquid, The Mongolz, MIBR, Fnatic, Cloud9
- 0-3: Rare Atom, Wildcard
The Opening Stage begins on November 30 and concludes on December 3. After a one-day break, the remaining 8 teams from the Elimination Stage will join the battle on December 5.
