ESL Professional League Season 22 is in full swing, with 24 of the world’s finest Counter-Strike 2 groups competing for its $400,000 (~£297,830) prize pool and Valve Regional Standings (VRS) factors.
Nevertheless, viewers tuning into the motion could also be stunned to see Mild Mates and ENCE competing in Stage 1 of the event, regardless of not receiving an invite or qualifying. Esports Insider shortly explains why these esports organisations have made a sudden Professional League look.
Mild Mates
Mild Mates has made its ESL Professional League debut after Lynn Imaginative and prescient Gaming was unable to discipline a whole roster on the occasion. Because of the Chinese language facet’s ineligibility, Mild Mates was the following eligible group in accordance with event organiser ESL FACEIT Group‘s guidelines.
“Any withdrawal occurring lower than two weeks previous to the occasion’s begin date will end result within the invitation being granted to the highest-ranked group on the Valve Regional Standings from the host area of the occasion,” said ESL on September twenty seventh.
Ranked twenty sixth in the September VRS, a powerful efficiency at ESL Professional League Season 22 permits Mild Mates to cement its place inside the prime 32 earlier than the invitations for the StarLadder Budapest Main are distributed.
The event has already began on the entrance foot, scoring a 2-1 victory over HEROIC in its opening match. Mild Mates continues its Professional League marketing campaign on September twenty ninth, 2025, with a spherical two match towards G2 Esports. A win would place the group one victory away from Stage 2.
ENCE
As per ESL FACEIT Group’s rulebook, ENCE was the following eligible group to compete. The last-minute invitation resulted in ENCE having to withdraw from Birch Cup 2025, a Tier 2 LAN happening in Gdansk, Poland.
Ranked twenty ninth within the September VRS, ENCE is on the cusp of dropping out of the highest 32 if the group is unable to attain LAN victories throughout its shock Professional League look.
ENCE kicked off Stage 1 with a victory over M80. A win over Astralis within the second spherical places it a step nearer to Stage 2 qualification.
Followers can tune into Stage 1 of ESL Professional League Season 22 on the ESL Counter-Strike’s Twitch and YouTube channels.
