ESL Pro League Season 23 Finals Preview

After intense matches in Stage 1 and Stage 2 of ESL Pro League Season 23, the eight best teams have secured their spots in the playoffs, where the new champion will be determined. The earlier stages already delivered plenty of surprising results and unexpected upsets, so the final stage promises to be even more exciting for Counter-Strike fans.

ESL Pro League Season 23: Stage 1 & Stage 2 Results

Traditionally, ESL Pro League consists of two initial stages played online, followed by the Playoffs held in Stockholm at the Annexet Arena.

Stage 1 Results

The first stage of ESL Pro League Season 23 took place from March 1 to March 5 and featured 16 teams competing for eight spots in Stage 2. One of the biggest surprises came from FUT Esports and Legacy, who finished the stage with a perfect 3–0 record and became the first teams to advance.

Other teams that won their decisive matches and qualified for the next stage were:

• Monte (3–1)
• Astralis (3–1)
• paiN Gaming (3–1)
• HEROIC (3–2)
• G2 Esports (3–2)
• 3DMAX (3–2)

Some teams failed to meet expectations, including PARIVISION, who had already won BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 and finished second at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 earlier this year. Despite their success at those LAN events, they could not advance further here. Liquid also disappointed, losing their decisive match against 3DMAX and exiting the tournament with a 2–3 record.

SemperFi and NRG Esports finished their run without a single victory, ending Stage 1 with a 0–3 record and struggling to compete with their opponents.

Stage 2 Results

The second stage of ESL Pro League Season 23 took place from March 6 to March 10 and featured 16 teams competing for eight playoff spots. Early in the stage, tournament favorites MOUZ and Team Spirit confirmed their ambitions by becoming the first teams to secure playoff spots with a flawless 3–0 record.

The surprising runs of FUT Esports and Legacy continued. Both teams impressed in Stage 1 and managed to deliver solid performances again in Stage 2, finishing with records of 3–1 and 3–2 respectively, which allowed them to reach the playoffs.

Alongside them, NAVI, The MongolZ, Aurora, and Astralis also secured their spots in the decisive stage of the tournament by winning their crucial matches.

However, Stage 2 also brought several unexpected results. FURIA finished the tournament with a 2–3 record after failing to win their deciding match for a playoff spot. An even bigger disappointment came from FaZe Clan, who were eliminated earlier in the stage with a 1–3 record.

The worst results in Stage 2 came from HEROIC and Monte, who ended their run without a single victory, finishing 0–3 and failing to challenge their opponents. As a result, the ESL Pro League Season 23 playoffs were formed by the eight teams that performed the best during the previous stages.

Format and Dates of ESL Pro League Season 23 Finals

The final stage of ESL Pro League Season 23 will take place from March 13 to March 15 in Stockholm at the Annexet Arena. The playoffs will be played in a single-elimination format, meaning teams will be eliminated after one loss.

All playoff matches except the Grand Final will be played in a best-of-three (Bo3) format. The decisive match of the tournament — the Grand Final — will be played as a best-of-five (Bo5), where the two best teams will compete for the championship title.

The tournament winner will receive $100,000 in prize money, as well as important points toward the ESL Grand Slam — a prestigious series where a team that wins four ESL tournaments within ten events receives an additional $1,000,000 prize.

Teams to Watch in ESL Pro League Season 23 Finals

Several teams in the ESL Pro League Season 23 playoffs are worth paying special attention to, as they could become the main protagonists of the final stage of the tournament.

One of the biggest storylines will be the performances of FUT Esports and Legacy, who surprised many during the earlier stages and confidently secured their playoff spots. Both teams have already shown they can challenge more experienced opponents, meaning their playoff matches could deliver new surprises.

Another team attracting attention is MOUZ. They have shown strong and consistent form recently but often fall short in the playoff stages of major tournaments. ESL Pro League Season 23 could be their opportunity to finally overcome that barrier.

NAVI is another team to watch closely. The Ukrainian squad traditionally enters any major tournament as one of the favorites, and their playoff performances always draw significant attention from fans and analysts.

Favorites, Dark Horses, and Underdogs at ESL Pro League Season 23

Heading into the ESL Pro League Season 23 playoffs, several teams stand out as the main contenders for the championship. Among the favorites are Team Spirit, NAVI, and MOUZ, who have demonstrated consistent performances and strong individual form throughout the tournament.

At the same time, the playoffs have often been a challenging stage for MOUZ, as the team has repeatedly fallen short in the decisive stages of major events, which adds extra intrigue to their run.

Among the tournament’s dark horses are FUT Esports and The MongolZ. Both teams have already shown strong performances in the earlier stages and could create problems even for the favorites if they maintain their form.

The underdogs category includes Astralis and Legacy. Despite reaching the playoffs, they will face very strong opponents, meaning any victory at this stage could become a major surprise.

Where to Watch ESL Pro League Season 23 Finals

Fans can watch the ESL Pro League Season 23 Finals through official broadcasts organized by ESL. The tournament will be streamed on the company’s official Twitch and YouTube channels.

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