Professional Counter-Strike's Shanghai Major 2024 Elimination Phase features several potential dark horse teams that could upset the established order. Here's who to watch:

Heroic (#7 HLTV)

After transitioning from their all-Danish roster 11 months ago, Heroic has evolved into a formidable international squad. Their recent lineup changes, including adding AWPer degster, have started showing promising results:

• Strong performances at EPL S20 Playoffs
• 3rd/4th at IEM Rio 2024
• Silver medals at Elisa Masters Espoo 2024 and Thunderpick World Championship 2024

Key players showing exceptional form:

• NertZ (1.23 rating)
• TeSeS (1.13 rating)
• sjuush (consistent support)
• degster (high-impact AWPing)

The MongolZ (#9 HLTV)

The MongolZ have had a breakthrough year in 2024, becoming Asia's strongest hope:

Major achievements:

• Top 16 at PGL Copenhagen Major 2024
• Multiple playoff appearances (EPL 19/20, IEM Cologne, IEM Rio)
• Victory at Thunderpick World Championship 2024 ($850,000)
• $986,347 total prize money (4th highest in 2024)

Core strengths:

• Stable roster (together since September 2023)
• Strong tactical foundation
• Exceptional firepower from bLitz (IGL), 910 (AWP), and Senzu
• 10-match winning streak entering Elimination Phase

Both teams have demonstrated they can compete at the highest level and could make deep runs in the tournament, potentially disrupting the established elite teams' expectations.

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