Three maps, 13-11 on the decider. It was as close as it could have been between the two teams that contested the first big final of 2024 to conclude the Counter-Strike year, and in the end, youth triumphed over experience as Spirit barely edged out FaZe in a fantastic series.
The professional Counter-Strike year really truly began with IEM Katowice and the emergence of donk, with the grand final pitting Spirit and FaZe against each other. That time, it was a 3-0 romp in favor of the CIS squad, but the dominance it augured didn’t come to pass. Ten months later, after a topsy-turvy year, both teams defied expectations to make it to the grand final of the Shanghai Major, and they put on an incredible show.