Favorites Triumph on Day One of Thunderpick World Championship 2025

Favorites Triumph on Day One of Thunderpick World Championship 2025

Day one of the Thunderpick World Championship 2025 concluded without major upsets — the pre-tournament favorites all secured wins and advanced in the upper bracket. 

Opening Matches Recap

FURIA vs OG
FURIA edged out OG in a hard-fought 2–0, taking Nuke 13–10 and Inferno 13–9. 
Yuri “ yuurih ” Santos led his team with a 1.27 rating, though OG’s Olle “ spooke “ Grundström posted the highest individual rating in the match (1.29) — OG’s only player above 1.00.

The MongolZ vs 9z
The MongolZ overwhelmed 9z, conceding only eight rounds across two maps. 9z struggled to find footing, and the new-look South American roster now heads to the lower bracket. 

Natus Vincere vs Imperial
In perhaps the closest matchup of the day, Imperial claimed the first map (Mirage) against NAVI’s weak “T side” play, but could not sustain the momentum. NAVI responded with convincing wins on their maps and clinched the series 2–1. 

Aurora vs Venom
Aurora had a shaky start against Polish side Venom, winning Nuke 13–11 and finding themselves 0–5 down on Overpass before mounting a strong CT-side to close it out 13–5. 

As a result:

In Group A, FURIA will face The MongolZ for a semifinal slot.

In Group B, NAVI and Aurora will do the same.

In the lower bracket, OG will meet 9z, and Imperial will take on Venom.

Event Structure & Stakes

The tournament features eight teams, split into two groups of four. The group stage uses a GSL-style double-elimination BO3 format; the top two from each group move to playoff brackets. 
The total prize pool is USD 850,000, with USD 340,000 shared among players and the rest allocated to their organizations. 

Broadcast talent includes hosts Tres “ stunna “ Saranthus, Sam “ Tech Girl “ Wright, and commentators Hugo “ Hugo “ Byron, Harry “ JustHarry “ Russell, Chad “ SPUNJ “ Burchill, and Alex “ Machine “ Richardson. Interviewer Geordie “ Mac “ McAleer will conduct post-match interviews. 

Additional Context & Quotes

On yuurih’s evolving role

In prior interviews, yuurih spoke about adapting to a new team dynamic:

“I need to do everything for the team … I’m totally an anchor now … It’s very new for me.” 
He also has praised teammate molodoy, saying:
“When I see molodoy playing, it’s almost like m0NESY … he’s very new, but has a good impact.” 

FalleN’s adaptation to FURIA
Gabriel “ FalleN “ Toledo has previously discussed challenges in blending his experience with FURIA’s existing culture:

“There is a cultural difference in how to approach Counter-Strike.” 

Tournament preview & expectations
In pre-tournament coverage, analysts projected that The MongolZ, FURIA, Aurora, and NAVI would be the strongest contenders. 
The preview also noted that FURIA had been showing consistent form, making them a serious challenger.