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We're watching the action at ESL Pro League Season 21. The group stage is in full swing, with 16 teams battling for slots in the play-offs.
Among the contenders for the main stage are Eternal Fire and paiN. Between them they will play the match for life in the tournament, as both teams are in the 1-2 basket.
Let's try to figure out who of the pair Eternal Fire - paiN will be stronger and prolong their stay in the tournament with a chance to qualify for the play-offs, and who will have to prepare for the next challenges outside ESL Pro League Season 21.
Let's go.
Eternal Fire uniforms
Let's open the Eternal Fire vs paiN Gaming match with an analysis of EF's form. In this match they play the first number one with odds to win around 1.3.
Eternal Fire started actively making their way to the title tournaments since the 2023 season. Then the team won the ESL Pro League Season 17: European Conference, thus securing a spot on the EPL S17. The Main Event ended miserably - only top 20 and not out of the group.
Participated in BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023: European RMR B. There they took TOP-14, which was not enough to reach the only Major of the season.
In the middle of the year, Eternal Fire showed their best form. The Turks finished in the top 4 twice, but did so at TIR-B tournaments. They broke into the top four at CCT North Europe Series #7 and Thunderpick World Championship 2023: European Series #1.
- Eternal Fire roster: XANTARES, jottAAA, MAJ3R, Wicadia, woxic.
Before the ESL Pro League Season 8 Long Round, MAJ3R's team played on CCT Central Europe and Pinnacle Cup V. Both championships ended for them on top 8.
Eternal Fire played their debut match at ESL Pro League Season 18 against Cloud9. They played as the number two and got a natural result: 0-2, but with 11 and 12 rounds respectively.
In the first match of the lower grid Eternal Fire played against 9INE. The Turks were clearly on form, as they managed to run over a pretty tough competitor without much difficulty. The match ended with a score of 2-0 in favour of Eternal Fire. As a result, the ESL Pro League Season 18 run ended very well: the team barely qualified for the play-offs of the tournament, where they managed to win two series. EF left Astralis and BIG behind, but Ledge and Natus Vincere.
EF later made the Top 16 at Roobet Cup 2023, where they finished Top 16 and Top 2 at PARI, Please. In 2024, Eternal Fire attended PGL Major Copenhagen 2024: European Qualifier B, where they finished in the Top 2, advancing to European RMR A.
IEM Katowice 2024 started with the Play-In stage. By the way, they passed it very easily: 13-1 against BB Team and 2-0 against Rebels Gaming allowed them to get into the group stage. In the first match of the group stage they also easily defeated Falcons (13-9; 13-6), and then showed a very cheerful CS in the match against the top-2 team of the world FaZe Clan, but Ledge were defeated on three maps (1-2). At the end of IEM Katowice 2024 Eternal Fire took the top 12, and then started to play at PGL Major Copenhagen 2024: European RMR A.
At the qualifying tournament, the Turks finished in the top 8, which gave them the opportunity to qualify for PGL CS 2 Major Copenhagen 2024, which is true in the first stage.
At PGL CS 2 Major Copenhagen 2024 Eternal Fire are feeling very good so far. The Turks have 2 wins and 1 loss: they beat Mongolz and Pain, but lost to Heroic 0-2 in the match for the next stage. However, they succeeded in their next attempt: they defeated GL with a score of 2-1.
Eternal Fire debuted in the legends stage with a surprise win against Vitality. However, in the second round they lost to MOUZ, which brought them to 1-1 score. And then there was a real sensation: 13-1 against FaZe Clan and 2-1 score for the Turks.
Eternal Fire got into the play-offs of the tournament after the victory over Vp. The match ended with the score 2-1. However, they failed to move beyond the first round, as NaVi were stronger than the Turks and closed the series with a score of 2-0.
They also attended ESL Pro League Season 19, where they failed, and quite seriously. The Turkish team took TOP-21-28. Then diametrically opposite situation at CCT Season 1: Global Finals and then - not leaving the group at YaLLa Compas 2024.
Eternal Fire got to IEM Cologne 2024 thanks to the ESL world ranking, but there they took the top 20, without having time to show anything. Then there were equally failed tournaments like IEM Rio 2024, with TOP-12 and failure at Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024: European RMR B with TOP-14.
The 2025 Long Season was followed by qualifiers at BLAST Bounty Season 1. There EF beat ENCE and Falcons. At the final stage of BLAST Bounty Season 1 Eternal Fire beat Vitality. They went on to defeat G2 Esports and advance to the grand finals, but lost to Spirit 1-3.
Eternal Fire played at IEM Katowice 2025. The Turkish club managed to get to the play-offs stage, but failed to defeat MongolZ in the first round.
They also played at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025, where they finished in the top 8, which is not a good result, but not a nightmare either.
Eternal Fire started ESL Pro League Season 21 with an appearance in the first round of the group stage: there the Turkish club played 3-1. Once in the "real" group stage Eternal Fire beat MIBR, but lost to 3DMax and Liquid.
Eternal Fire mappool
The best map is Nuke. There are 4 matches and 4 wins.
Anubis (7 matches, 85% wins), Mirage (4 matches, 75% wins) are doing very well. Vertigo - 71% wins in 7 matches, Inferno and Overpass - 3 wins in 5 matches.
Form paiN
We continue our analysis of the paiN vs Eternal Fire match with an analysis of paiN's form. In this match they will play as an outsider with odds to win around 3.4.
The club paiN Gaming in 2024 has played a lot of tournaments, among which there were results. However, no special results were achieved.
By far the most significant was PGL Major Copenhagen 2024, where paiN managed to show character and a good game. They were just enough for the top 9-11, but even that is a good result.
Where paiN shine is on the home stage. The club has essentially dominated the Latin American scene, consistently winning B-tier tournaments. Such was the case at RES Latin American Series #4, Global Esports Tour Rio de Janeiro 2024, where they earned $100,000 for the win.
- The lineup of paiN Gaming: biguzera, lux, kauez, nqz, snow.
Landmark results include a pass at IEM Cologne 2024. Passed through home qualifications.
IEM Cologne 2024 paiN Gaming started with a loss in the match against Liquid (0-2). Further, already in the lower grid, the team won against compatriots from Imperial (2-1). At the end of IEM Cologne 2024 the team took the top 8.
Later, paiN Gaming played at BLAST Premier: Fall Showdown 2024, where they finished at the already "classic" for themselves TOP-8.
Before playing at PW Shanghai Major 2024, paiN Gaming visited Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2024, where they finished in TOP-16, and ESL Challenger Katowice 2024, where they finished in TOP-4. The team made it directly to PW Shanghai Major 2024 thanks to a 3-1 score at American RMR.
At PW Shanghai Major 2024: Opening Stage paiN started their journey with a win over Imperial. Then they lost to GamerLegion, but then beat C9 and FlyQuest. Elimination Stage opened with a loss to MOUZ, followed by Ledgeili and 3DMax. In the match for life at Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024, paiN defeated BIG.
At the main stage of PW Shanghai Major 2024, paiN won 1-3, thus finishing in the top 14.
paiN opened the 2025 season with an appearance at BLAST Bounty Season 1. They managed to overcome qualification by beating GamerLegion and FaZe. In the play-offs of the tournament they met NaVi, where they were close to victory, but Ledgeili with the score 1-2, thus taking the top 6.
paiN visited IEM Katowice 2025, where they played at their level, i.e. top-20. At PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025 things went much better: paiN played the group stage of the tournament with a score of 3-1, defeating Astralis, Falcons and Vp, and lost only to MongolZ, and that in a fight. However, they didn't have enough energy for the play-offs: Ledge and MOUZ were defeated in the first round, leaving the championship in the top 8.
At the ESL Pro League Season 21, Long Sogpeg started from the first stage of the group stage, where they played with the score 3-2. After making it to the top 16, paiN lost to G2 and NaVi, but won against GamerLegion.
Map paiN Gaming
The top 1 map paiN gaming has had in the last 3 months is Mirage. L4O has a mind-blowing winrate of 92% with 13 games played.
They also played on Inferno, where they won 5 matches out of 7 games. In plus winrate and Nuke, where with 5 matches and 3 wins.
The most not favoured card for paiN Gaming will be Vertigo. There they have 6 maps and only 1 win.
History of head-to-head meetings Eternal Fire - paiN
The teams have played each other twice since Long Sogpeg 2024. Both times Eternal Fire won.
Predicted result of paiN vs Eternal Fire at ESL Pro League Season 21
Despite the nominal advantage of Eternal Fire, I will be in favour of paiN Gaming in this match. They had a much more combative experience at ESL Pro League Season 21, losing to G2 and NaVi. Eternal Fire, on the other hand, are not happy with their play even in matches where the nominal is stronger.
Bottom line: paiN wins.
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