Only eight teams remain. The PGL Copenhagen Major elimination stage has ended, and the Counter-Strike 2 landscape has narrowed to its final octet. In 2026, as the CS2 Major circuit has matured into a global spectacle, the 2024 Copenhagen playoffs still stand as a landmark moment—the first time the game's elite fought for a Major trophy on the new engine. The bracket was set, the stage was lit, and every map promised a story.
The eight playoff teams were:
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Team Spirit
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FaZe Clan
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Vitality
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Cloud9
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Eternal Fire
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Natus Vincere
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G2 Esports
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MOUZ
Team Spirit and MOUZ entered the playoffs with perfect 3-0 records in the elimination stage. Spirit's path was a gauntlet: victories over Cloud9, Imperial Esports, and NAVI. MOUZ, by contrast, moved like a river finding the path of least resistance—first over ECSTATIC, then Eternal Fire, and finally a 2-0 sweep of Complexity. The two undefeated squads had earned their rest, but in a single-elimination bracket, rest is a fragile shield.
The next three teams to punch their playoff tickets were Eternal Fire, Cloud9, and Vitality, all finishing 3-1. Cloud9's run was particularly striking. They toppled G2 Esports and NAVI, two giants whose tournament lives suddenly hung by a thread. That result was a tactical earthquake: it did not eliminate G2 or NAVI outright, but it forced them into a desperate final day.
And desperate they were. G2 survived with a win over Virtus.Pro. NAVI clawed past paiN Gaming. FaZe Clan, meanwhile, delivered a clinical 2-0 victory over Complexity to secure the last spot. The final day was less a set of matches and more a high-wire act without a net—one misstep, one lost pistol round, and a season's work could vanish.
The playoffs themselves were scheduled for March 29 through March 31, a three-day sprint of single-elimination Counter-Strike. Every match was all or nothing. The winner would become the first-ever CS2 Major champion, a distinction that would echo through the game's history like a bell rung in an empty cathedral.
| Team | Elimination Stage Record | Key Wins |
|---|---|---|
| Team Spirit | 3-0 | Cloud9, Imperial, NAVI |
| MOUZ | 3-0 | ECSTATIC, Eternal Fire, Complexity |
| Eternal Fire | 3-1 | — |
| Cloud9 | 3-1 | G2, NAVI |
| Vitality | 3-1 | — |
| FaZe Clan | 3-1 | Complexity |
| G2 Esports | 3-2 | Virtus.Pro |
| NAVI | 3-2 | paiN Gaming |
The tournament began with 24 teams across three stages. The Opening Stage whittled the field to eight for the Elimination Stage. From there, the top eight advanced to the playoffs. It was a funnel of pure attrition, and the teams that survived were not just skilled—they were adaptable. In CS2, where smoke physics, sub-tick updates, and utility meta shifted week by week, adaptability was the rarest currency.
Looking back from 2026, the Copenhagen Major playoffs feel like a cartographer's first sketch of a new continent. The map was rough, the territory unknown, but the outlines of future dynasties were visible. Team Spirit's undefeated run hinted at the dominance they would later cement. MOUZ's efficient path showed that preparation could outpace raw firepower. Cloud9's upset victories proved that on any given day, the bracket could crack open.
For fans, the playoffs were a three-day festival of clutch defuses, eco frags, and timeout mind games. The atmosphere was electric, the stakes absolute. And when the final round was played, one team lifted the first CS2 Major trophy. That moment did not just end a tournament; it began an era.
In 2026, the CS2 Major scene has more teams, more money, and more eyes than ever. But the eight teams from Copenhagen—Spirit, FaZe, Vitality, Cloud9, Eternal Fire, NAVI, G2, and MOUZ—remain the original playoff class. They were the first to prove that Counter-Strike 2 could deliver the same cardiac pressure as its predecessor. And for that, their names are etched into the game's young history.