ThunderPick World Championship 2025 reveals talent lineup and opening matches

ThunderPick World Championship 2025 reveals talent lineup and opening matches

The ThunderPick World Championship 2025 officially kicks off on October 15–19 in Malta, and the organizers have unveiled both the broadcast talent squad and the opening matchups for the eight-team event. 

The tournament will feature two groups of four teams each. Group A consists of FURIA, The MongolZ, OG, and 9z, while Group B houses Natus Vincere, Aurora, Imperial, and Venom. The opening day will host a full slate of matches to launch both groups. 

Opening matches schedule

All match times are local to Malta:

• 10:30 — FURIA vs OG (Group A opener)

• 13:30 — The MongolZ vs 9z (Group A)

• 16:30 — Natus Vincere vs Imperial (Group B)

• 19:30 — Aurora vs Venom (Group B)

These matches set the tone for the GSL-style group stage, where each group’s bracket includes a winners’ match, elimination match, and decider match. The top two from each group will advance to the single-elimination playoffs. 

Talent & Broadcast Team

In addition to the match grid, the event will be supported by a full broadcast talent lineup tasked with commentary, hosting, analysis, and observational duties. While HLTV’s announcement didn’t name all members, the broadcast team is expected to include familiar faces in the CS2 scene, drawing from regional and international talent rosters. 

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Format, stakes, and context

Tournament structure & prize

• Format: Group stage uses GSL (double elimination) best of 3 format; playoffs are single elimination Bo3, with a best-of-5 grand final.

• Prize pool: $850,000 total, with $340,000 allocated to player shares and $510,000 to club share.

• VRS weight: The tournament carries a $850,000 VRS weight, making it an important event for regional standings and Major invitation points.

Teams & invites

Some participants qualified via closed qualifiers; others received direct invites. Teams such as The MongolZ and NAVI were among those extended invitations. 

The map pool includes Dust2, Mirage, Inferno, Nuke, Train, Overpass, Ancient — a full lineup of seven maps. 

Key matchups to watch

• FURIA vs OG: Two powerhouses facing off on opening day; likely a marquee clash in Group A.

• The MongolZ vs 9z: The MongolZ, ranked as Asia’s top team, begin their campaign against South American hopefuls 9z.

• NAVI vs Imperial: NAVI’s match versus Imperial will test their readiness in Group B.

• Aurora vs Venom: Aurora will look to start strong against Venom in another Group B opening fixture.

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What to watch & narrative threads

• Group dynamics: With GSL brackets, early results will have outsized impact; losing the opener means extra pressure in elimination matches.

• Roster form & momentum: Teams with recent peaks (e.g. The MongolZ, NAVI) must translate consistency into big-event performance.

• VRS stakes & Major prospects: Given the heavy VRS weighting, strong showings here could shift Major invites or regional seedings.

• Broadcast execution: The announced talent will shape viewer experience; personalities and observatory insight will be under scrutiny.

• Upset potential: With only eight teams, and regional variety (Asia, South America, Brazil, Europe), surprises are more likely.