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ESL Pro League Season 18: A Glimpse at the Opening Matchups

Sports Writer

Publish Date: 23/08/2023

Fact checked by: James Leeland

CSGO players

Between August 30th and October 1st, we’ll have the ESL Pro League 18, and the brackets have already been set. In this article, we’ll take a look at the teams, how the groups were formed, and, even though it’s quite early for that, give our opinion on the outcome.

Tournament Overview

Let’s dive deeper into the format and what the teams will have to deliver in order to stay in the competition until the Playoffs.

Duration and Format

As mentioned above, the tournament will start at the end of August and will feature 32 teams. The format used for this first phase will be a double-elimination bracket – meaning that two losses are required for elimination.

Progression to Playoffs

Each group is formed of eight teams, and the first four matches are part of the Opening Round. The winners from this stage will move on to the Upper semi-finals, while the losers will be sent to the Lower Round 1.Now, the losing teams from the Upper semi-finals will be sent to play against the winners from the Lower Round 1, while the losers from the LR-1 are eliminated. As you’d expect, the Upper semi-final winners move on to the Upper Final and will play for seeds in the playoffs being that they’re already in.The last two teams will be decided in the Lower semi-finals – winners move on to the lower finals and losers are sent home.

A Dive into Group Matchups

Here’s a simple rundown of the group divisions and the matchups for the Opening Round.

Group A Teams

Vitality
ORKS
Astralis
Ninjas in Pyjamas
Furia
Movistar Riders
Grayhound
GamerLegion

Group A Matchups
Astralis	Ninjas in Pyjamas
Vitality	ORKS
FURIA	Movistar Riders
Grayhound	GamerLegion

Group B Teams

Heroic
ENCE
Evil Geniuses
MOUZ
Monte
BIG
Rooster
MIBR

Group B Matchups
BIG	Monte
Heroic	Rooster
Evil Geniuses	ENCE
MOUZ	MIBR

Group C Teams

FaZe
Natus Vincere
9z
5yclone
M80
Apeks
Imperial
fnatic

Group C Matchups
Natus Vincere	5yclone
Apeks	M80
FaZe	9z
Imperial	fnatic

Group D Teams

Cloud9
G2
Liquid
Virtus.pro
Complexity
9INE
Lynn Vision
Eternal Fire

Group D Matchups
Liquid	Virtus.pro
G2	Lynn Vision
Complexity	9INE
Cloud9	Eternal Fire

Conclusion

By the level of the teams present in this Group Stage, this ESL Pro League will be quite a thrill – both for the players and the ones watching. We’ll be sure to follow this tournament closely so that we can bring you overviews, analysis, and much more regarding these intense matchups. If that’s something that interests you, be sure to stick with us at Strafe.com!