ESL Pro League Season 22 Stage 2: Teams, Format, Preview, and Predictions

3 Oct

Ganesh Jadhav

The first stage of ESL Pro League Season 22 was anything but predictable. FURIA and G2 Esports, the two teams with trophies in 2025, just barely made it through. Instead, HOTU, Inner Circle, Gentle Mates — completely unknown teams in T1 Counter-Strike — qualified without dropping a game.

Starting tomorrow, October 4, the big dogs join the fray. Stage 2 of EPL S22 will feature the top 8 VRS teams along with the 8 teams qualified via the first stage. Let’s take a look at what the tournament has in store.

Teams and Format

The teams playing in ESL Pro League Season 22 are:

[table id=145 /]

Similar to Stage 1, these teams will play in a Swiss Bracket.

Round 1 matches are based on VRS ranks.
Following fixtures depend on previous round results.
All games are Bo3.
8 teams qualify for the Playoffs.

The Playoffs will be a Single-Elimination bracket, where the Season 22 EPL champion will be crowned.

Opening Fixture and Schedule

Stage 2 of EPL S22 will kick off tomorrow and run until October 8. The first-round fixtures are as follows:

Friday, October 4th:
- 10:30 am CEST:
  - A Stream: MOUZ vs. GamerLegion
  - B Stream: Team Spirit vs. Inner Circle Esports
- 01:30 pm CEST:
  - A Stream: Team Falcons vs. Astralis
  - B Stream: The MongolZ vs. HOTU
- 03:30 pm CEST:
  - A Stream: Aurora Gaming vs. Natus Vincere
  - B Stream: Team Vitality vs. Gentle Mates
- 06:00 pm CEST:
  - A Stream: G2 Esports vs. FaZe Clan
  - B Stream: FURIA vs. 3DMAX
Saturday, October 5th: Round 2
Sunday, October 6th: Round 3
Monday, October 7th: Round 4
Tuesday, October 8th: Round 5

What to Expect from ESL Pro League Season 22

With Budapest Major 2025 invites being sent on October 5, EPL S22 Stage 2 will be the first and final look at these "Major" rosters.

The biggest story going into the tournament is the debut of the new FaZe Clan. Now featuring Twistzz instead of rain, the roster needs to start strong or at least show signs of life to justify the departure of the team’s longest-standing player.

Team Spirit will also debut at EPL S22. With zont1x taking a break, this tournament will be the first look at how the roster adapts. With competition heating up, zweih and tn1r need to perform if Spirit wants to stay in contention for trophies.

Other top teams — Team Vitality, MOUZ, and Team Falcons — who have yet to win a trophy since the player break, must display strong performances to maintain their stature.

The recent tournament winners, G2 Esports and FURIA, will also need to step up and replicate previous success if they want to solidify their place at the top of Counter-Strike.

The final and key storyline, however, will be how up-and-coming teams like HOTU, Inner Circle, and Gentle Mates perform against the upper echelons of Counter-Strike.

Predictions

Despite Stage 1 subverting expectations, Stage 2 will likely see the usual suspects making it through.

3-0: Team Vitality and The MongolZ, given their favorable Round 1 matchups and current strength, have the best chances to finish 3-0.
3-1: Team Spirit, MOUZ, and Team Falcons are the strongest contenders among the rest.
3-2: The final Playoff spots will likely go to FURIA, G2 Esports, and Astralis.