Crucial Takeaways #2 - Shanghai Major Americas RMR

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blog are purely personal and should not be considered as professional advice, some may contain satire or humor. Please interpret all content with this in mind and enjoy the read.

Americas RMR: Egos, Vertigo, and Tier 3 Level Plays

Welcome back to CS2 Insider! It’s me, Nestum—your self-proclaimed Counter-Strike analyst—here to serve up another helping of mildly educated takes. This time, we’re diving into the Americas RMR, where Vertigo somehow became the most-played map (why?), egos are bigger than the AWP’s zoom range, and raw aim can’t always save the day.  

From North America’s eternal quest to justify its hype to South America proving it can play Tier 3 CS on a Tier 1 stage, there’s plenty to unpack. Whether you’re here for insights, a good laugh, or just to feel better about your own FACEIT games, you’re in the right place. Let’s jump into Crucial Takeaways #2 and see what went down!  

Wildcard: It’s Texas, baby

Let’s start with Wildcard. Be honest—did Amouranth and friends even expect to pull off a flawless 3-0 run? Probably not. But here we are. Taking down Liquid (lol) may have been a BO1 fluke, but you can’t deny the grind it took to book their spot at their first-ever Major.  

Shoutout to stanislaw, still out there flexing like it’s 2019. He’s proving that age is just a number when you’ve got the clutch gene. And props to the rest of the squad for playing some genuinely good CS across the board.  

My Crucial Takeaway? Wildcard is going to be the ultimate dark horse at this Major. I’m calling it now—they’ll breeze through the opening stage, and who knows, maybe even flirt with a miracle playoff run. Either way, this team is playing like there’s no tomorrow (or maybe just no expectations).  

MIBR: Somebody Humble Them Already 

Next up, MIBR. They cruised to a 3-0 record with some of the cleanest and most cohesive CS they’ve played in ages. Exit was in God mode, rocking a 1.26 rating over four maps, and the best part? They didn’t drop a single map the entire RMR.  

But before you start hyping them up too much, let me remind you: MIBR is still mid. Sure, they might hit flashy one-taps and get the crowd going, but my Crucial Takeaway is simple: they’re crashing out of the Major with a dramatic 2-3 record. It won’t be a quiet exit either; expect a fiery meltdown that leaves their fans coping harder than Liquid fans.  

Still, I’ll give them this—if they’re going down, they’ll at least make it entertaining.  

Legacy and Red Canids: Coldzera Swap, Yet Both Don’t Qualify

And now, a moment of silence for Legacy and Red Canids.  

Where do we even start? Legacy’s RMR campaign was an absolute trainwreck. They won a single game. That’s it. Honestly, this is worse than anything they could’ve imagined. They showed up only to not show up—it was brutal.  

As for Red Canids, they at least managed to scrape a 2-3 record. Even with Coldzera joining the squad, they couldn’t pull off the miracle run. While they did better than Legacy, let’s be real: Brazilian CS is in shambles right now. Watching it feels like witnessing a slow-motion car crash—you can’t look away, but you really should.  

My Crucial Takeaway? Legacy should disband. There’s no coming back from this disaster. 

FURIA: IEM Rio Was a One-Time Thing 

Okay, FURIA fans, let’s talk. What. Happened. Seriously. Sure, they qualified, but barely. 3-2? Playing a tiebreaker against M80 to secure your spot? This was supposed to be the RMR where you dominated, went 3-0, and reminded everyone why you’re FURIA. Instead, you managed to surprise us all by underperforming in the most frustrating way possible.  

Watching this team is like watching a Ferrari stuck in first gear. My Crucial Takeaway? Honestly, don’t even bother getting on the plane to Shanghai. Save yourselves the trouble. But since we know you’re going, let me be blunt: you’re not making it far. An early exit is your destiny. #SAVEKSCERATO

Hall of Shame: Good Enough to Qualify, But Unremarkable Enough to Be Here

Time to give a quick shoutout to the rest of the teams that made it through:  

- paiN Gaming – Played some excellent CS, only losing to Wildcard. Props to nqz, who was an absolute machine. If he keeps this up, he might need an oil change before Shanghai.  

- Liquid – Well... they’re Liquid. Someone, anyone, please convince YEKINDAR to retire. I’m begging here.  

- Complexity – Poor EliGE, trapped in the Bermuda Triangle of North American CS. Someone throw this man a lifeline; he deserves better.  

- Imperial – How are they even here? No standout players, no flashy moments—just vibes. If they make it out of the opening stage, I’ll eat my mousepad.  

Last Thoughts Before the Smoke Clears  

And that’s a wrap on the Americas RMR, folks! I won’t waste time diving into the rest of the teams who didn’t qualify—Nouns, Case, BOSS, KRÜ, 9z (seriously, how do you go from 2-0 to 2-3?), and BESTIA—because let’s be honest, they represent NA and SA CS perfectly: they suck.  

Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you here again when we tackle the European RMRs! Now that’s where the real fun begins. Until next time, stay hydrated, my friends!