The 18th season of CS:GO ESL Pro League is set to start on August 30, 2023. Thirty teams from different regions will convene in Malta for the tournament that spans over a month. It has historically been criticized for its incredibly lengthy schedule but has been one of the most prestigious events in CS:GO esports.
As always, plenty of heavy hitters, along with underdogs and rookie teams from regional leagues, will be participating in CS:GO ESL Pro League Season 18.
This article will cover everything you need to know ahead of CS:GO ESL Pro League Season 18.
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CS:GO ESL Pro League Season 18: Format, venue, and prize pool
Format
CS:GO ESL Pro League Season 18 has two different formats for the group stage and the Playoffs stage. The group stage consists of four groups with eight teams each. Every single matchup will be a best-of-three, and a triple-elimination bracket will be in effect.
The winners of each group directly advance to the quarterfinals, and the runner-up will get a slot in the Round of 12 of CS:GO ESL Pro League Season 18. The third and fourth-placed teams will move to the Playoffs stage as the high and low seeds respectively.
The playoffs stage is simpler and is a single-elimination bracket. Every match in this stage will be a best-of-three except for the Grand Finals of CS:GO ESL Pro League Season 18, which will feature a best-of-five series.
Here are the 32 teams participating in CS:GO ESL Pro League Season 18:
- Astralis
- BIG
- Complexity Gaming
- ENCE
- Evil Geniuses
- FaZe Clan
- Fnatic
- FURIA
- G2 Esports
- Heroic
- MOUZ
- Natus Vincere
- Ninjas in Pyjamas
- Team Liquid
- Team Vitality
- Movistar Riders
- Virtus.pro
- Cloud9
- GamerLegion
- 9INE
- Monte
- MIBR
- Lynn Vision Gaming
- Apeks
- M80
- 5yclone
- Eternal Fire
- ORKS
- Imperial Esports
- Grayhound Gaming
- 9z Team
- Rooster
Venue
All games of CS:GO ESL Pro League Season 18 will be held at InterContinental Malta, a luxurious hotel in the port city of Saint Julian's.
Prize pool
CS:GO ESL Pro League Season 18 will feature a prize pool of $850,000, with the winning team receiving $200,000.
CS:GO ESL Pro League Season 18 Playoffs: Schedule and results
The schedule for the Playoffs stage of CS:GO ESL Pro League Season 18 is as follows:
Day 21 - September 26, 2023
- Fnatic vs. Monte (1-2): Anubis (9-16); Overpass (16-12); Vertigo (6-16)
- Astralis vs. Eternal Fire (0-2): Vertigo (14-16); Inferno (7-16)
- Virtus.pro vs. 9z Team (0-0): Mirage; Inferno; Overpass
- MOUZ vs. FURIA (2-0): Nuke (16-5); Mirage (16-4)
Day 22 - September 27, 2023
- Complexity Gaming vs. Monte (1-2): Ancient (7-16); Overpass (16-9); Anubis (12-16)
- BIG vs. Eternal Fire (0-2): Vertigo (14-16); Anubis (10-16)
- Movistar Riders vs. 9z Team (2-1): Nuke (16-13); Anubis (12-16); Ancient (16-9)
- FaZe Clan vs. MOUZ: (0-2): Mirage (10-16); Inferno (5-16)
Day 23 - September 28, 2023
- Team Vitality vs. Monte (0-2): Anubis (11-16); Nuke (14-16)
- Natus Vincere vs. Eternal Fire (2-0): Anubis (16-7); Nuke (16-10)
Day 24 - September 29, 2023
- ENCE vs. Movistar Riders (2-0): Overpass (16-2); Anubis (16-5)
- G2 Esports vs. MOUZ (1-2): Mirage (13-16); Ancient (16-14); Inferno (7-16)
Day 25 - September 30, 2023
- Natus Vincere vs. Monte (2-0): Anubis (16-12); Mirage (10-16)
- ENCE vs. MOUZ: Mirage; Vertigo; Nuke
Day 26 - October 1, 2023
- TBD vs. TBD - 7:00 am PDT / 4:00 pm CEST / 7:30 pm IST
CS:GO ESL Pro League Season 18 Groups Stage: Schedule and results
The complete schedule for the CS:GO ESL Pro League Season 18 has been revealed. The schedule for the group stage is as follows:
Group A
Day 1 - August 30, 2023
- FURIA vs. Movistar Riders (0-2): Overpass (8-16); Nuke (13-16)
- Grayhound Gaming vs. GamerLegion (0-2): Anubis (9-16); Ancient (13-16)
- Astralis vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas (0-2): Ancient (10-16); Inferno (11-16)
- Team Vitality vs. ORKS (2-0): Mirage (16-7); Nuke (16-6)
Day 2 - August 31, 2023
- FURIA vs Grayhound Gaming (2-0): Ancient (16-6); Vertigo (16-8)
- Movistar Riders vs GamerLegion (2-0): Anubis (16-12); Ancient (19-16)
- ORKS vs Astralis (0-2): Nuke (5-16); Overpass (6-16)
- Team Vitality vs Ninjas in Pyjamas (2-0): Mirage (16-3); Nuke (16-9)
Day 3 - September 1, 2023
- GamerLegion vs. Astralis (0-2): Vertigo (12-16); Inferno (8-16)
- Ninjas in Pyjamas vs. FURIA (0-2): Mirage (12-16); Nuke (12-16)
Day 4 - September 2, 2023
- Grayhound Gaming vs ORKS (2-1): Mirage (12-16); Nuke (16-10); Ancient (19-15)
- Astralis vs FURIA (2-0): Overpass (16-7); Nuke (16-13)
- GamerLegion vs Ninjas in Pyjamas (2-1): Ancient (6-16); Overpass (16-14); Inferno (16-10)
Day 5 - September 3, 2023
- FURIA vs. Grayhound Gaming (2-0): Inferno (19-17); Vertigo (16-8)
- Team Vitality vs. Movistar Riders (2-0): Overpass (16-10); Inferno (16-7)
- GamerLegion vs. FURIA (0-2): Mirage (15-19); Overpass (4-16)
Group B
- BIG vs. Monte (2-1): Vertigo (16-13); Anubis (14-16); Ancient (16-5)
- Heroic vs. Rooster (2-0): Inferno (16-2); Mirage (16-4)
- Evil Geniuses vs. ENCE (0-2): Mirage (9-16); Nuke (14-16)
- MOUZ vs. MIBR (1-2): Vertigo (9-16); Inferno (16-7); Mirage (14-16)
Day 7 - September 7, 2023
- Rooster vs. Monte (1-2): Nuke (16-8); Anubis (10-16); Mirage (10-16)
- Heroic vs. BIG (0-2): Ancient (23-25); Inferno (13-16)
- MOUZ vs. Evil Geniuses (2-0): Ancient (19-15); Inferno (16-13)
- MIBR vs. ENCE (1-2): Vertigo (18-22); Anubis (19-17); Ancient (11-16)
Day 8 - September 8, 2023
- MIBR vs. Monte (2-1): Vertigo (6-16); Anubis (16-12); Mirage (16-11)
- Heroic vs. MOUZ (0-2): Mirage (8-16); Nuke (10-16)
Day 9 - September 9, 2023
- Rooster vs. Evil Geniuses (0-2): Mirage (6-16); Nuke (10-16)
- MIBR vs. MOUZ (0-2): Vertigo (14-16); Inferno (5-16)
- Monte vs. Heroic (2-1): Mirage (16-10); Overpass (20-22); Ancient (16-10)
Day 10 - September 10, 2023
- Evil Geniuses vs. MIBR (1-2) - Ancient (1-16); Mirage (22-20); Nuke (22-25)
- BIG vs. ENCE (1-2): Ancient (9-16); Anubis (16-14); Vertigo (11-16)
- Monte vs. MIBR (2-0) : Vertigo (16-6); Anubis (16-3)
Group C
Day 11 - September 13, 2023
- Natus Vincere vs. 5yclone (2-0): Inferno (16-11); Mirage (16-12)
- Apeks vs. M80 (2-0): Inferno (19-15); Mirage (16-3)
- FaZe Clan vs. 9z Team (2-0): Nuke (16-4); Inferno (16-3)
- Imperial Esports vs. Fnatic (1-2): Overpass (11-16); Anubis (16-13); Nuke (18-22)
Day 12 - September 14, 2023
- M80 vs. 5yclone (0-2): Nuke (10-16); Anubis (14-16)
- Apeks vs. Natus Vincere (0-2): Anubis (7-16); Inferno (5-16)
- 9z Team vs. Imperial Esports (0-2): Nuke (11-16); Anubis (10-16)
- FaZe Clan vs. Fnatic (2-1): Ancient (12-16); Inferno (16-14); Nuke (16-3)
Day 13 - September 15, 2023
- Apeks vs. Imperial Esports (2-0): Overpass (16-14); Ancient (16-13)
- Fnatic vs. 5yclone (2-0): Inferno (16-14); Vertigo (16-7)
Day 14 - September 16, 2023
- 9z Team vs. M80 (2-0): Nuke (16-14); Inferno (16-13)
- Apeks vs. Fnatic (1-2): Vertigo (16-5); Inferno (10-16); Ancient (13-16)
- Imperial Esports vs. 5yclone (1-2): Nuke (14-16); Anubis (16-6); Overpass (10-16)
Day 15 - September 17, 2023
- Apeks vs. 9z Team (0-2): Overpass (8-16); Mirage (9-16)
- FaZe Clan vs. Natus Vincere (0-2): Anubis (4-16); Nuke (13-16)
- 5yclone vs. 9z Team (1-2): Overpass (16-6); Inferno (8-16); Nuke (6-16)
Group D
Day 16 - September 20, 2023
- Team Liquid vs. Virtus.pro (1-2): Inferno (11-16); Mirage (19-17); Anubis (14-16)
- G2 Esports vs. Lynn Vision Gaming (2-0): Anubis (19-16); Inferno (16-5)
- Complexity Gaming vs. 9INE (2-1): Anubis (16-11); Vertigo (12-16); Ancient (16-13)
- Cloud9 vs. Eternal Fire (2-0): Vertigo (16-11); Overpass (16-12)
Day 17 - September 21, 2023
- Team Liquid vs Lynn Vision Gaming (2-0): Anubis (16-9); Ancient (16-6)
- Cloud9 vs Complexity Gaming (0-2): Anubis (13-16); Ancient (6-16)
- Eternal Fire vs 9INE (2-0): Anubis (19-15); Vertigo (16-11)
- Virtus.pro vs G2 Esports (1-2): Mirage (6-16); Inferno (16-10); Ancient (5-16)
Day 18 - September 22, 2023
- Virtus.pro vs. Eternal Fire (2-0): Vertigo (16-10); Inferno (16-12)
- Cloud9 vs. Team Liquid (1-2): Ancient (11-16); Inferno (16-14); Mirage (12-16)
Day 19 - September 23, 2023
- 9INE vs. Lynn Vision Gaming (1-2): Anubis (10-16); Vertigo (16-10); Overpass (20-22)
- Virtus.pro vs. Team Liquid (1-1): Inferno (12-16); Ancient (16-14); Vertigo
- Eternal Fire vs. Cloud9 - 10:30 am PDT / 7:30 pm CEST / 11:00 pm IST
Day 20 - September 24, 2023
- Team Liquid vs. Lynn Vision Gaming (2-0): Anubis (19-17); Ancient (16-13)
- Complexity Gaming vs. G2 Espors (1-2): Anubis (16-8); Inferno (16-19); Ancient (4-16)
- Eternal Fire vs. Team Liquid (2-0): Vertigo (16-12); Mirage (16-9)
CS:GO ESL Pro League Season 18 livestream details
CS:GO esports enthusiasts can watch the matches of CS:GO ESL Pro League Season 18 live on the official ESL Twitch and YouTube channels. There will also be a secondary stream on days when there are multiple matches at the same time.
- ESL Twitch streams: A and B
- ESL YouTube streams: Watch here
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