The preliminary Swiss levels turned out to be too harsh for among the favorites. Can the narrative of underdog success proceed within the playoffs of CS2 ESL Professional League Season 23?
The Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) esports event offers the playoff contributors a pleasant probability to realize their first occasion win in 2026.
The largest powerhouses of the present scene determined to skip ESL Professional League (EPL) Season 23 — Vitality should not a menace to MOUZ and Spirit this time. Some potential favorites simply couldn’t make it to the ultimate brackets: PARAVISION, FURIA, G2, and FaZe Clan.
The way to watch the EPL Season 23 playoffs: Stream
The ESL Counter-Strike YouTube and Twitch channels stream the playoff matches of ESL Professional League Season 23.
Schedule
The playoff part of the CS2 esports occasion EPL Season 23 occurs from March 13 to March 15. The detailed schedule of matches is within the desk under.
Matchups and outcomes: ESL Professional League Season 23 playoffs
The playoff brackets function single-elimination matches. There’s a third-place closing at EPL Season 23.
Likelihood for the favorites and underdogs alike
Because of the choice of Workforce Vitality and Falcons to skip this CS2 occasion, different favorites obtained an elevated probability to carry the trophy. These groups are the highest selections on the most effective esports betting websites — even when a win isn’t assured in esports.
MOUZ gamers dream of a giant win, and it may grow to be actual this time. Their quarterfinal and semifinal opponents make up fairly a sensible problem for MOUZ.
Spirit have been in turmoil since their final massive win, at BLAST Bounty Fall 2025. The brackets department at EPL S23 playoffs appears fairly favorable for Workforce Spirit.
Two groups within the closing brackets have had an especially robust interval in the beginning of the Counter-Strike 2 season 2026.
NAVI certified for the playoffs solely from the final spherical of Swiss Stage 2. They couldn’t do it at IEM Kraków 2026, however followers anticipate extra than simply this progress.
The MongolZ have had troubles placing their video games collectively after roster changes in 2025. They nonetheless completed 4th at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026. Doubtlessly, The MongolZ face MOUZ within the semifinals: they usually misplaced to those opponents in Cluj-Napoca and within the Swiss stage 2 of EPL S23. Certain, their win in opposition to NAVI can also be fairly a process.
Underdogs and Astralis
Aurora and Legacy have seemingly recovered from their outcomes drop. They might set up themselves as super-strong mid-tier groups once more to battle in massive playoffs and win smaller tournaments.
Aurora Gaming already defeated Legacy at this occasion: within the first spherical of Swiss Stage 2. In addition they received over G2 Esports.
FUT Esports have grow to be one of many largest phenomena of this season. They’d actually good matches within the earlier tournaments of 2026, even when the ultimate placement just isn’t that spectacular.
In two Swiss levels of CS2 EPL Season 23, FUT defeated some massive opponents, together with Astralis and G2 Esports.
Astralis just isn’t precisely an underdog crew, however we will’t name them the favorites, both. Constructing synergy with two new gamers brings first rate outcomes.
Astralis have been within the prime 8 of Intel Excessive Masters Kraków 2026. They eradicated FURIA from EPL S23! Defeating Workforce Spirit nonetheless seems like an unlikely end result for Astralis.
The subsequent massive CS2 esports occasion begins quickly after ESL Professional League Season 23, on March 18. This time, Vitality is among the many contributors! BLAST Open Spring 2026 is a chance to proceed their tournament-winning streak.
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