ESL Pro League Season 23 viewer’s guide
As the dust settles over PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026, another huge Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) esports event is about to begin. Yes, ESL Pro League is in its 23rd season, and for the first time in over six years, the playoffs will be held in front of a huge crowd in a stadium, adding to the pressure…and excitement. Here’s what you need to know.
ESL Pro League S23 details
ESL Pro League Season 23 kicks off on 1 March and runs until 15 March 2026. The tournament features three stages of competition. The Play-In Stage, aka Stage 1, will see 16 teams compete for just eight spots in Stage 2 via a Swiss System format.
In Stage 2, the eight direct-invite teams will compete alongside the eight teams that advanced from Stage 1. The format will again be Swiss System, with all matches being best-of-three.
The eight teams that make it past Stage 2 will compete on LAN in front of a crowd at Annexet in Stockholm, Sweden. They’ll fight through a single-elimination bracket, where all matches are best-of-three, except for the Grand Final, which is best-of-five.
In total, teams are competing for their share of the $1 million prize pool. That’s roughly R16 million at the current Dollar to Rand exchange rate. Interestingly, both Team Falcons and Team Vitality are not attending.
Teams Competing
Check out the teams competing at ESL Pro League Season 23 below, including which stage they start in:
| Tournament Stage | Teams |
| Directly Invited (Stage 2) | FURIA, MOUZ, FaZe Clan, Natus Vincere, Team Spirit, The MongolZ, Aurora Gaming, B8 |
| Starting in Stage 1 | G2 Esports, Team Liquid, Astralis, HEROIC, paiN Gaming, Legacy, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Gaimin Gladiators, 3DMAX, M80, Monte, NRG, PARIVISION, Passion UA, FUT Esports, SemperFi Esports |
CS2 esports fans can watch all the top-tier ESL Pro League Season 23 action live via the official ESL_CSGO Twitch channel. Stay tuned to Esports Central for a ton of CS2 esports coverage, including the results and a highlights video of ESL Pro League Season 23.
Header image via ESL.
