ESL Pro League Season 23 preview: teams, format, schedule and more

Section 1 Counter-Strike 2 The circuit continues to heat up as some of the best teams in the world prepare to compete in the 23rd season of the ESL Pro League.

In the several groups that exist, they compete in a long-standing competition offers an opportunity to gain value Valve Regional Standings (VRS) points determine which of the 32 teams lead place in IEM Cologne Major.

From the teams vying for championship glory to the format and prize pool distribution, here’s everything you need to know about ESL Pro League Season 23.

The online phase of ESL Pro League Season 23 starts on March 1 and ends on March 10.

When the online stage is over, the remaining teams go to Stockholm Appendix from March 13 to 15 to decide the latest ESL Pro League champion.

ESL Pro League Season 23 marks the first time in six years that the long-running event has taken place in front of a live audience. As of 2019, ESL is hosting the tournament within its Stockholm-based studios.

Twenty-four teams will start the online phase of ESL Pro League Season 23. Eighteen teams received direct invitations based on their place in the January VRS, while the remaining six spots are reserved for regional winners. ESL Challenger League events and open DreamHack Knockout they are not eligible.

A notable absence Group Vitality. The defending ESL Pro League champion will not compete after opting out following a busy start to the 2026 season.

As a result of Team Vitality’s absence, the popularity of FURIA, Team Spirit again Parivision they aim to add another major tournament win to their cabinet.

For some organizations, the event is the first time their new team competes in a Tier 1 tournament. Before the event, 3DMAX has signed Kévin ‘misutaaa’ Rabier on its first list in an attempt to find some form after a treacherous 2026 campaign.

Below is a list of all the teams that will compete in the event:

With several of the world’s best teams battling it out, the public’s attention will be on FURIA after the team won VRS for February. Following an impressive show on PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026international list of FUT Esports He hopes to continue his run of form with another strong performance in the opening round.

After starting the year with win in BLAST Bounty Season 1 2026Parivision could find themselves in contention to lift their second trophy to solidify their place among the world’s top Counter-Strike teams.

ESL Pro League Season 23 is contested in two stages online and LAN Playoffs. The online stages use a Swiss best-of-three format, with the top eight teams from Stage 1 advancing to Stage 2.

Another 16-team Swiss stage decides which teams will advance to the Playoffs, with eight from Stage 2 heading to Stockholm for a chance to lift the trophy.

The Playoffs feature a best-of-three bracket, which is drawn once in the quarterfinals and semifinals. The Grand Final will use a best-of-five series to determine the champion. On the same day as the Grand Final, the third place match will decide who takes the bottom step of the field.

ESL Pro League Season 23 Playoffs Tickets are still available for purchase, with a variety of options available to fans who want to see the world’s best teams in action.

In the online section, fans can tune in to the action on all of ESL’s Twitch and YouTube channels, which can be found below:

The ESL Pro League features a $275,000 prize pool distributed among the eight teams that qualify for the Playoffs.

In addition to the prize pool, the winner of the event also joins ESL Grand Slam race. The incentive organized by ESL awards the team that wins four Tier 1 tournaments run by the tournament organizer with a prize of $1m (~£739,145).

The full distribution of the prize pool is as follows: