Tema Vitality and Movistar Riders are joined by Astralis and FURIA in the EPL Season 18 playoffs.
The ESL Pro League Season 18 is underway and teams are putting up an impressive display of skill and firepower. After the conclusion of the Group A matches, we now have our first four teams that reach the ESL Pro League Season 18 playoffs.
The Group stage of the ESL Pro League has seen some intense competition with players pulling out unique strategies and stepping up as required by their team. The Pro League has 32 teams in the group stage with four groups of eight teams each. The extensive group stage triple elimination format allows teams the leeway to make mistakes and still make a comeback.
First four teams to qualify for EPL playoffs
- Team Vitality
- Movistar Riders
- Astralis
- FURIA
Team Vitality and Movistar Riders were the first two teams to qualify for the playoffs. Both teams have had a straight run through the upper bracket, ensuring they have not lost a single match until they faced each other.
Vitality’s first match at ESL Pro League was against ORKS followed by one against NIP. The French-Danish mix had a relatively easy time dealing with these series. Once they reached the upper bracket final, they were confirmed a slot in the playoffs. The Upper bracket final was a match for the playoffs seeding.
Movistar Riders faced off against FURIA in their inaugural match. After a 2-0 win against the Brazilians, Movistar Riders had a similar scoreline against GamerLegion. They ultimately did fall to Team Vitality, but that wasn’t really a surprise. They still make it to the playoffs.
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Astralis and FURIA join ESL Pro League Playoffs team list
After falling to NIP in their opening match of ESL Pro League Season 18, Astralis has had a flawless lower bracket run in Group A. The team's performance has only improved with time and the players look much more comfortable with each passing match.
FURIA had a tougher route to the qualification. They lost their first match against NIP as well falling to the lower bracket to face Grayhound. Having already defeated Grayhound once before, it was once again a walk in the park for the Brazilian squad.
The ESL Pro League features 32 of the best CS:GO teams in action. With Counter-Strike 2 releasing in Summer of this year, this edition of the ESL Pro League is the final season on Counter-Strike Global Offensive.
With the new game of CS2, we can expect improved graphics, MR12, a brand new Premier mode and much more. While the initial months might see a few hiccups, one can be assured that the game development will take place at a rapid pace.
Group B matches kick off on September 6 with Heroic taking on Rooster in the opening series. CS:GO fans can catch all the action live on Twitch.
Stay tuned to esports.gg for the latest CS:GO news and updates.
