ESL Professional League Season 23 preview: groups, format, schedule and extra

The Tier 1 Counter-Strike 2 circuit continues to warmth up as a few of the world’s finest groups put together to compete within the twenty third season of ESL Professional League. 

For a number of groups in attendance, competing within the long-standing event offers a chance to earn priceless Valve Regional Standings (VRS) factors that decide which 32 groups earn a spot on the IEM Cologne Main.

From the groups contending for championship glory to the format and prize pool distribution, right here is all the pieces there may be to learn about ESL Professional League Season 23.

The web section of ESL Professional League Season 23 kicks off on March 1st and concludes on March tenth. 

As soon as the web section has concluded, the remaining groups head to Stockholm’s Annexet from March thirteenth to fifteenth to find out the most recent ESL Professional League champion. 

ESL Professional League Season 23 marks the primary time in six years that the long-standing occasion has taken place in entrance of a dwell viewers. Since 2019, ESL has hosted the event inside its Stockholm-based studios.

Twenty-four groups will start the web stage of ESL Professional League Season 23. Eighteen groups obtained direct invites primarily based on their place in January’s VRS, whereas the remaining six slots have been secured by the winners of regional ESL Challenger League occasions and open DreamHack Knockout qualifiers.

One notable absence is Crew Vitality. The defending ESL Professional League champion won’t compete after deciding to not attend following a busy begin to the 2026 season.

On account of Crew Vitality’s absence, the likes of FURIA, Crew Spirit and Parivision are aiming so as to add one other high-profile event victory to their cupboard.

For some organisations, the occasion is the primary time their new-look lineup will compete in a Tier 1 event. Forward of the occasion, 3DMAX signed Kévin ‘misutaaa‘ Rabier to its beginning roster in a bid to search out some type after a difficult 2026 marketing campaign.

Under is a listing of all of the groups competing within the occasion:

With a number of of the world’s finest groups battling it out, the eye of the group can be on FURIA after the staff topped February’s VRS. Following a powerful exhibiting at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026, the worldwide roster of FUT Esports hopes to proceed its run of type with one other sturdy efficiency within the opening stage.

After beginning the yr with victory at BLAST Bounty Season 1 2026, Parivision might discover itself in competition to raise its second trophy to cement its place among the many world’s elite Counter-Strike groups.

ESL Professional League Season 23 is contested throughout two on-line phases and the LAN Playoffs. The web phases use a best-of-three Swiss format, with the highest eight groups from Stage 1 advancing to Stage 2. 

One other 16-team Swiss stage determines which groups advance to the Playoffs, with the highest eight from Stage 2 heading to Stockholm for an opportunity to raise the trophy. 

The Playoffs function a best-of-three, single-elimination bracket for the quarter and semi-finals. The Grand Ultimate will use a best-of-five sequence to find out the eventual champion. On the identical day because the Grand Ultimate, a third-place match will resolve who takes the underside step of the rostrum.

Tickets for the ESL Professional League Season 23 Playoffs are nonetheless obtainable to buy, with varied choices on provide to followers trying to see the world’s finest groups in motion. 

For the web section, followers can tune into the motion throughout ESL’s Twitch and YouTube channels, which may be discovered beneath:

ESL Professional League encompasses a $275,000 prize pool distributed among the many eight groups that qualify for the Playoffs. 

Along with the prize pool, the occasion winner additionally joins the ESL Grand Slam race. The inducement organised by ESL rewards a staff that wins 4 Tier 1 tournaments operated by the event organiser with a $1m (~£739,145) prize.

The complete prize pool distribution is as follows: