They couldn’t have picked a more overblown name for such a forgettable tournament, could they?

The Thunderpick World Championship sounds like a once-every-four-years spectacle with the best teams on the planet. Turns out it’s just another tier 1.5 event that rolls around every year, with a team lineup that’s… modest. We’re feeling generous.

But hey, it beats waking up at 4am to watch FaZe lose to a bunch of (admittedly very talented) kids!

Group A - featuring FURIA, The MongolZ, OG, and 9z - saw the only spark in the winners’ match, where FURIA battled for the first Playoff spot. Both teams had cruised past OG and 9z in their openers, setting up what felt more like a grand final than a group stage game. The series was a tightly contested fight that ultimately saw FURIA come out on top, powered by stellar performances from molodoy and yuurih.

Meanwhile, OG collapsed versus 9z in the lower bracket, setting the stage for a MongolZ vs 9z rematch.

Group B managed to be even more predictable than Group A. In the opening round, NAVI made quick work of Imperial, while Aurora swept Venom - a team we’re still not sure who they are or how they ended up here. The winner’s match turned out to be a scrappy affair, much like Group A’s, with questionable rounds from both sides before NAVI eventually closed it out 2-1.

Venom’s victory over Imperial in the lower bracket set up an absolute banger of a decider match, with the Poles taking on Aurora for the final Playoff spot in Malta.

Can’t you tell how excited we are?