Singapore Major Pick'Em picks

How the Major Pick'Em works

In the Pick'Em format Valve has used at recent CS2 Majors, each Swiss stage takes ten picks: two teams to finish 3–0, two to finish 0–3 and six more to advance. Playoff picks follow the bracket. Picks lock when the stage starts.

Rules and rewards are confirmed in the game client before each stage, so check them there before locking in.

Pick'Em strategy

The 3–0 and 0–3 slots are the hardest: a team must win or lose three matches in a row. Five rules from the model:

• Put the strongest seeds in the 3–0 slots, but avoid two teams that would likely meet in Round 2;
• Use the 0–3 slots on the lowest seeds, since best-of-one openers make even weak teams dangerous for one map;
• Fill the advance slots with mid-to-high seeds that have stable map pools;
• Do not spend a 3–0 pick on a team you also need to advance; each team gets one pick;
• Check line-ups and stand-ins before the lock, because a late change matters more than seeding.

Stage 1 Pick'Em: our picks

Our ten picks for Stage 1, made by the editorial team. They lock on 24 November with the first match; each pick is marked as hit or miss once the stage ends.

Why these picks

The picks start from the model and change where form, rankings or experience say otherwise:

• PARIVISION are the best Stage 1 team in the HLTV ranking (#13) and the second seed, so their Round 1 opponent comes from the lower half of the seeding;
• FaZe reached three of the last five Major finals, more than any other team in Stage 1;
• 9z rank ten places higher on HLTV than their seed, so the advance pick is safer than it looks;
• 100 Thieves miss out: their HLTV form (#33) is the weakest among the top eight seeds;
• Chinggis Warriors and FlyQuest are the two lowest teams in the HLTV ranking in the whole field.

Editorial team vs model

Where we disagree with our own model, the teams are highlighted:

Download the Stage 1 Pick'Em card (PNG, 1080 × 1350)

Stage 2 Pick'Em: provisional picks

Eight Stage 2 teams are seeded; the other eight come from Stage 1. These picks assume our Stage 1 calls come true and are updated when the Stage 2 field is set.

Why these picks

Seeds, HLTV form and line-up news decide the Stage 2 card:

• FUT start as the top seed and sit #8 on HLTV; NAVI bring a Major-winning core and a top-ten HLTV ranking;
• PARIVISION and FaZe are the Stage 1 3–0 picks, so they arrive in form;
• Astralis go to 0–3 because cmtry is expected to miss the Major, according to HLTV;
• The pick is updated once Stage 1 ends and the Stage 2 field is complete.

Download the Stage 2 Pick'Em card (PNG, 1080 × 1350)

Stage 3 Pick'Em: provisional picks

The top eight seeds enter here and every match is best-of-three, which helps the favourites. Eight places in the arena are at stake.

Why these picks

The 3–0 slots go to the two strongest teams by HLTV ranking and Major record:

• Vitality won both Majors of 2025 and FURIA lead the HLTV ranking: the two safest 3–0 picks in the field;
• MOUZ top the Valve standings, but a 3–0 run needs three wins against top seeds; the advance slot is the safer use;
• Legacy are the lowest Stage 3 seed, and MIBR would arrive as the weakest Stage 2 qualifier in our picks;
• The pick is updated once Stage 2 ends.

Download the Stage 3 Pick'Em card (PNG, 1080 × 1350)

Playoff picks: semi-finals to champion

Our bracket call before the event. Vitality’s two Major titles in 2025 and their record in best-of-five finals outweigh MOUZ’s lead in the standings.

Title chances for every team are on the Singapore Major winner odds page; the model’s view of each stage is in the Major predictions.