FISSURE Playground 2 preview and predictions: Is a new era on the horizon?

G2 Esports lifting BLAST Open London trophy while standing on stage ahead of FISSURE Playground 2

After a successful first edition, the second FISSURE Playground event is the latest installment of the Tier 1 Counter-Strike 2 circuit.

With the notable absences of Team Vitality and Team Spirit, the tournament taking place at the Belgrade Arena offers teams in attendance an excellent opportunity to climb the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) and cement their positions among the top 32.

Before the first shot is fired, Esports Insider takes a closer look at the main talking points and attempts to predict which teams will advance to the playoffs.

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Can G2 Esports Build Momentum?

Image of G2 Esports competing at BLAST Open London CS2 event — Image credit: Sophie Skittle, BLAST

After taking victory at BLAST Open London, G2 Esports is back in action at FISSURE Playground 2 as it looks to continue its momentum built off its first Tier 1 victory since 2024.

Following the acquisitions of Alvaro ‘SunPayus‘ Garcia after the BLAST.tv Austin Major, and Matúš ‘matys‘ Šimko in July, G2 has continued to climb the global rankings, reaching 15th in September’s VRS.

Another strong LAN showing in Serbia has the potential to send the team further up the rankings, all but guaranteeing a place at November’s StarLadder Budapest Major.

G2 Esports begins its FISSURE Playground 2 campaign with an opening round match against Lynn Vision. Based on recent performances from both sides, G2 has a strong chance of starting the Swiss stage with a victory.

A Team Liquid Turning Point

The use of the VRS to determine which teams qualify for the Major has emphasised the importance of performing well in offline tournaments. For Team Liquid, the lack of playoff appearances at Tier 1 events has seen the team tumble down the standings.

Currently ranked 27th, the team has placed no higher than the top six in the past nine months, putting it on the verge of dropping out of the top 32 with two months until the Budapest Major.

The road to the Major doesn’t get easier for Team Liquid with a first-round clash against an in-form FURIA, kicking off its Swiss stage campaign. With three victories required to advance into the Playoffs, Team Liquid has a chance to claw its way back into the top 32 if it can string together a solid showing at FISSURE Playground 2.

A Resurgent FaZe Clan

Image of FaZe Clan competing at BLAST Open London — Image credit: Sophie Skittle, BLAST

Since the addition of Jakub ‘jcobbb’ Pietruszewski, FaZe Clan has shown signs of rekindling some of the form that saw the North American organisation win several tournaments during the latter stages of the Global Offensive era.

An opening match against paiN Gaming will settle any nerves as jcobbb continues to build experience in top-tier competition, while the rest of the team keeps improving to a level that puts it in contention for championship glory.