Austin Major Playoffs Pick'em: Predictions & Opinions

The Major is underway, the favorites are making it to the playoffs, and the grand final is getting closer. So, it’s time to make your CS2 Austin Major Playoffs Pick’Em and aim for that Diamond Coin. Although considering how unpredictable the three stages of the Major have been, I doubt anyone will actually get the maximum reward, but the chance to reach the Gold Coin is still very much alive.

What is Austin Major Playoffs Pick'Em and How It Works

The Austin Major Playoffs Pick’Em is a prediction challenge available to players who purchase the tournament pass. It allows participants to forecast the outcomes of the playoff matches during the Austin Major in Counter-Strike 2. By making accurate predictions, players earn points, which contribute to upgrading their event coin and unlocking cosmetic rewards, such as souvenir tokens and sprays.

CS2 Pick’em Rules and Strategy

Players are required to make 10 total predictions in each playoff stage. Only exact results count—if you predict a team to win 3-1 but they go 3-0, you will not receive credit for that pick. Each correct prediction earns one point. In order to upgrade the souvenir coin tied to the event pass, players must earn at least 5 points per stage.

Strategy plays a key role. Some players prefer to choose strong mid-tier teams for their 3-0 predictions, as these teams often outperform expectations and face more manageable early matchups. However, since the playoff bracket is reseeded after each round based on performance (using Buchholz scores), predicting future matchups becomes more complicated. This makes the Pick’Em challenge both exciting and difficult, as it requires both insight and a bit of luck.

In summary, the Austin Major Playoffs Pick’Em is a strategic prediction game tied to the CS2 Major, where accurate forecasting of match outcomes earns points and in-game rewards. It encourages fans to engage more deeply with the tournament, while offering exclusive cosmetic items and the prestige of a perfect prediction record.

How do I earn the Diamond Coin in the Austin Major Pick’Em Challenge?

You need to collect a total of 10 correct picks across all three stages (e.g. 5 in Stage 1, 3 in Stage 2, 2 in Stage 3 - in any combination). You don’t need perfect predictions in every stage. As long as you gather 10 correct picks in total, and you’ve activated your pass (which gives the 11th point), you will receive the Diamond Coin.

Our prediction for Pick’Em

YouTubers’ prediction for Austin Major Playoffs Pick’Em

Please pay attention to the selection of influencers to make it easier to navigate and make your own Pick’Em choices. Here we’ve gathered ten YouTubers who hold the honorary title of CS2’s analytical core. It’s also worth remembering that CS2 can be unpredictable — for example, none of these guys predicted Legacy to go 3-0 in the second stage. However, many of their more stable forecasts did come true, such as the widely shared prediction of B8 and HEROIC going 3-0 in the first stage.

YouTube: fl0m

fl0m’s Austin Major Playoffs Pick’Em

A high-level player who consistently ranks near the top of the FACEIT leaderboards, and his content matches that level of expertise. He revealed his Pick’Em choices live on stream. fl0m believes that the Vitality era should come to an end at this Major, though he’s not entirely sure whether they can even get past the FaZe squad. That said, FaZe already beat them in Stage 3, which might put some psychological pressure on the younger team heading into the rematch.

YouTube: launders

launders’ Austin Major Playoffs Pick’Em

Respected CS2 analyst Launders supports the fairly popular prediction that Vitality will take the win, but he approaches it from the angle that FaZe are destined for silver, nothing more, nothing less. At least that’s what I gathered, since the experienced caster released a rather cryptic video: set to epic music, he walks around a room repeating “FaZe silver,” then breaks down his reasoning, occasionally even rhyming his arguments. Absolute based.

YouTube: MacMate

MacMate’s Austin Major Playoffs Pick’Em

The sharp and charismatic MacMate analyzed the teams and decided to bet on calm, predictable Counter-Strike with a so-called happy ending. In truth, Vitality radiates a kind of magnetism that makes you want to root for them — after all, an undisputed favorite is something stable and impressive for CS fans.

YouTube: Mauisnake

Mauisnake’s Austin Major Playoffs Pick’Em

Mauisnake focuses heavily on statistics. Yet another fairly stable and predictable take, picking Vitality to win the grand final. His previous match predictions also followed a straightforward path, with no major upsets.

YouTube: Hawka

Hawka’s Austin Major Playoffs Pick’Em

Hawka is known for his in-depth analysis of individual player performances and their impact on team results. He sees individual dominance of Team Spirit on the server as the key factor, and believes they will be the ones to put an end to the Vitality era.

YouTube: BanKs

BanKs’ Austin Major Playoffs Pick’Em

A respected host and analyst, BanKs believes that it’s genuinely difficult to make a clear call in the Major final between FaZe and Vitality. Even after breaking down every detail, it’s still tough to predict with certainty. He even considered the possibility of NAVI winning the Major, since their previous Major victory with this roster was just as unexpected — they weren’t seen as playoff favorites then either. In the end, BanKs picked Vitality to take first place.

YouTube: HLTVorg

HLTV’s Austin Major Playoffs Pick’Em

The analysts from HLTV’s official channel believe this is FaZe’s Major, and that every player on the roster has put in enough work this year to truly earn a win in Austin. It’s definitely a risky pick — but if it hits, it’s going to be epic!

YouTube: Ash’s Playbook

Ash’s Austin Major Pick’Em

Ash already holds a Silver Coin from the Austin Major 2025, having earned a total of 6 points across the three stages. His quarterfinal picks were fairly organic, but for the semifinals and the winner, he leaned into the unpredictable energy of this Major, making yet another bet on the brutal end of Vitality’s era and the rise of the game’s current antagonists.

YouTube: Elfishguy

Elfishguy’s Austin Major Playoffs Pick’Em

Caster and content creator Elfishguy is a fan of Asian Counter-Strike, which is why he’s backing The MongolZ to make it to the grand final, only to fall to the mighty Vitality. On one hand, it’s an extremely unconventional pick, but on the other, he still joins the growing list of analysts favoring a Vitality victory.

YouTube: CS Tactics

CS Tactics’ Austin Major Playoffs Pick’Em

The representative of CS Tactics content on YouTube sticks with a popular playoff Pick’Em, predicting a FaZe victory, though he initially hesitated and strongly considered Vitality as well.

CS2 Austin Major Pick’em: Coin

The CS2 Austin Major Pick’Em Challenge offers players a chance to earn a special event medal, progressing from Bronze to Diamond based on how accurately they predict which teams go 3-0, which six advance, and which two are eliminated 0-3. While the medal system remains similar to the one used during the Shanghai 2024 Major, requiring 11 total points, including one for activating the pass, the Austin Major has proven far more unpredictable, especially in Stage 1.

Unlike Shanghai, which featured more stable performances and fewer upsets, Austin has already seen major surprises like Legacy defeating Vitality, making the road to a Diamond Coin riskier. To stay on track for the top-tier reward, players need to research recent results, consider bracket dynamics, and avoid risky picks early, as even favorites can fall short in CS2’s volatile current meta.