Monte eliminated from ESL Pro League S23 Stage 2 after loss to FaZe

FaZe Clan secured a hard-fought victory over Monte in an elimination match at ESL Pro League Season 23 Stage 2. The BO3 series ended 2–0, although both maps were extremely competitive and finished with identical 13:11 scorelines. As a result, FaZe kept their playoff hopes alive, while Monte were eliminated from the tournament.

Map veto:

1. Monte removed Ancient
2. FaZe removed Mirage
3. Monte picked Dust2
4. FaZe picked Overpass
5. Monte removed Inferno
6. FaZe removed Nuke
7. Anubis was left over

The match began on Monte’s pick, Dust2. FaZe managed to secure eight rounds in the first half while playing on the CT side. After the side switch, the Ukrainian squad responded with a solid defense of their own. However, they were unable to push the game into overtime, and FaZe closed the map with a narrow 13:11 victory.

Overpass turned out to be another tense and lengthy battle. The first half ended in a balanced 6:6 scoreline. After switching sides, FaZe took the lead on the CT side. However, in round 19 Monte’s player Rainwaker lost power, forcing the players to wait while the issue was being resolved. Initially, the team’s coach was expected to substitute in for the young player, but the problem was eventually fixed and the match continued. After the forced pause, Monte came close to forcing overtime, but FaZe managed to close out the map 13:11 and eliminate Monte from the tournament.

MVP of the match

The best player of the series was frozen, who delivered impact in nearly every round. His statistics for the match were 85.2 ADR and a 1.26 rating.

FaZe Clan secured an important victory that keeps them alive in the 1–2 bracket. Monte, meanwhile, finished their run with a 0–3 record, placing 15–16th in Stage 2 and earning $8,500 in prize money.

ESL Pro League Season 23 Stage 2 takes place from March 6 to March 10, where 16 teams compete for a spot in the playoffs. The remaining eight teams will share a prize pool of $185,000.