Team Spirit won the Perfect World Shanghai Major after defeating FaZe 2-1 in the grand final. This is the fourth title of the year for the Russian team, who ended the year in the same manner as they started it in Katowice earlier this year.
Their main man Danil “donk” Kryshkovets was named tournament MVP for his impressive performance throughout the event. donk posted a 1.49 rating in Shanghai, becoming the youngest Major winner and MVP, surpassing the record held by Markus “Kjaerbye” Kjærbye in 2017.
Unlike in Katowice, this time it wasn’t Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov who took the burden off the donk, but Boris “magixx” Vorobiev, who put in one of the most dominant performances of his career to lead Spirit to a hard-fought victory. The deciding map was decided by just one round, but Spirit were the more dominant team throughout the tournament.
“I’ve dreamed of winning this event for years,” in-game leader Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov said after the match. “This was my goal in life, to prove myself. I thank the team, for what they did. To the organization and everyone around — I’m very grateful to them. Thank you to all the fans. And also my wife. Without her, nothing would have happened. And this trophy, this result… This is for you, Larisa.”
FaZe’s playoff journey ended in a painful way, but they still have to be credited for their incredible fight and mentality on the Shanghai Major stage. Karrigan and friends were able to bounce back after a rough start in the Elimination Stage.
Thanks to this victory, Team Spirit took home the top prize, $500,000 from the total prize pool of $1,250,000. Meanwhile, FaZe Clan added $170,000 to their bankroll.
