FURIA eliminate HEROIC from ESL Pro League Season 23 after a 2–1 victory

FURIA secured a hard-fought victory over HEROIC in the decisive 0–2 bracket match at ESL Pro League Season 23 Stage 2. The series turned out to be extremely tense and went the distance to a third map, where the Brazilian side managed to close out Inferno and win the matchup 2–1. This victory keeps FURIA’s playoff hopes alive, while HEROIC’s run at the tournament comes to an end.

Map veto:

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

The series started on Dust2, where the Brazilian team looked confident on the CT side and finished the half with a 10–2 lead. After the side switch, HEROIC tried to replicate their opponent’s success, but FURIA managed to close the enemy’s map pick with a 13–8 scoreline.

On their own map pick, FURIA completely collapsed on both sides. In the first half, HEROIC dominated on the CT side and closed it 10–2. After switching to the T side, they had no trouble finishing Overpass with a convincing 13–3 victory.

The deciding Inferno ended in favor of FURIA. Thanks to an aggressive T side, the Brazilian squad secured a comfortable 9–3 lead in the first half. In the second half, HEROIC attempted a comeback but managed to win only six rounds. The final score was 13–9 for FURIA.

Match MVP

Despite the loss, the best player of the match was Chr1zN from HEROIC, who posted the highest rating in the match at 1.21.

HEROIC finish their run at the tournament in 15th–16th place, earning $8,500 in prize money. FURIA remain in contention and will continue their run in the 1–2 bracket. ESL Pro League Season 23 Stage 2 takes place from March 6 to March 10, where 16 teams compete for playoff spots. The remaining eight teams will share a prize pool of $185,000.