Xaxas
11.03.2026
After two unpredictable opening days, ESL Pro League Season 23 Stage 2 moved into the decisive portion of the Swiss bracket. Rounds three through five determined which teams would secure playoff spots and which squads would see their tournament runs come to an end.
The early narrative suggested dominance from teams like G2 and Spirit. By the time the final round concluded, however, the story had shifted dramatically. New contenders emerged, traditional favorites stumbled, and the playoff field heading to Stockholm was finally locked in.
Gocore publishes daily match tips to help you follow and predict results throughout the ESL Pro League Season 23 Stage 2 playoff run. With matches scheduled every day in Stockholm, head to gocore.gg to stay up to date and use the tips to sharpen your Pick'ems predictions.
Round three is always where the Swiss format begins to separate genuine contenders from the rest of the pack. Teams sitting at 2-0 entered qualification matches, while those at 0-2 were fighting immediate elimination.
MOUZ became the first team to punch their ticket to the LAN finals after defeating The MongolZ 2-0. The series showcased exactly why MOUZ have looked so dangerous in this stage. Their structured teamplay and mid-round reads overwhelmed the Mongolian side, particularly on Ancient where MOUZ delivered a crushing 13-1 victory. Overpass was far closer, but the European squad held their nerve to close the map 13-11.
Lotan "Spinx" Giladi continued his exceptional individual form during the match, finishing the series with the highest rating in Stage 2 so far and further reinforcing MOUZ's position as early tournament favorites.
Spirit joined them in the playoffs shortly afterward with a clean 2-0 victory over G2. Danil "donk" Kryshkovets once again demonstrated why he remains one of the most feared riflers in CS2, leading the charge on Ancient before sh1ro and zont1x helped close out Anubis. Despite a strong individual showing from SunPayus, G2 could not keep up with Spirit's pace.
Elsewhere in the round, the middle bracket saw several teams stabilizing their campaigns. NAVI swept B8 to move into the 2-1 pool, Aurora defeated paiN, Legacy took down Astralis, and 3DMAX shocked FUT.
At the bottom of the table, elimination matches were already underway. FaZe avoided an early exit by beating Monte 2-0 in a tense series that saw both maps reach the full distance. Frozen led the way with a strong performance, while karrigan sealed Overpass with a critical 1v2 clutch in the final round.
FURIA also stayed alive by defeating HEROIC 2-1 in a back-and-forth series, moving themselves out of immediate danger.
With two teams already qualified, round four became the most chaotic stage of the Swiss format. Several heavy favorites entered their qualification matches but failed to secure the wins they needed.
The MongolZ bounced back from their loss to MOUZ by defeating 3DMAX 2-1. The series highlighted the resilience of the Mongolian squad, who recovered from a dominant loss on Ancient to edge the decider on Inferno. Their ability to capitalize on key mistakes ultimately secured them a playoff berth.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the round came from Legacy. The Brazilian lineup delivered a confident 2-0 victory over NAVI to qualify for the LAN stage. Eduardo "dumau" Wolkmer and Guilherme "saadzin" Pacheco both produced standout performances as Legacy consistently broke through NAVI's defenses on Dust2 and Mirage.
Aurora delivered another upset by defeating G2 2-0. The Turkish roster looked extremely composed, with XANTARES and woxic leading a clinical offensive performance. Their strong T sides on both Mirage and Anubis secured the win and sent them through to the playoffs with a 3-1 record.
While the top bracket saw celebrations, the lower bracket was packed with survival matches. FUT kept their tournament hopes alive with a dominant 2-0 win over B8. Dmytro "dem0n" Myroshnychenko delivered one of the standout individual maps of the stage, posting a 2.08 rating on Anubis as FUT cruised through the series.
Astralis eliminated FaZe in a dramatic three-map match that ended in overtime on Inferno. Despite FaZe forcing the decider into extra rounds, Astralis maintained composure and secured the final rounds to send the European roster out of the tournament.
Meanwhile, FURIA defeated paiN 2-0 in a Brazilian derby, recovering from their difficult start to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The final Swiss round determined the remaining three playoff teams and delivered some of the most intense series of the stage.
NAVI managed to recover from their earlier defeat by defeating 3DMAX 2-1 in the qualification match. After splitting the first two maps, NAVI dominated Ancient to secure the victory and advance to the LAN finals. Strong performances from makazze and w0nderful helped stabilize the team after a turbulent group stage.
The biggest headline of the final round came from FUT's dramatic victory over G2. The young squad completed a remarkable comeback series to win 2-1 and secure their first ESL Pro League playoff appearance.
After being blown out on Mirage, FUT rallied on Dust2 and Overpass. Multi-kill rounds from dziugss and cmtry repeatedly disrupted G2's setups, allowing the underdogs to close the decider 13-11 and complete one of the most memorable upsets of the stage.
The final playoff spot came down to Astralis versus FURIA.
Astralis delivered a commanding performance on Nuke and Inferno to secure the 2-1 victory and claim the last spot in Stockholm. Victor "Staehr" Staehr led the way with a stellar performance across the series, while the team's structured CT setups completely shut down FURIA's attacks on the final map.
With that win, the playoff bracket was officially set.
After five intense Swiss rounds, eight teams advanced to the ESL Pro League Season 23 Finals in Stockholm.
MOUZ and Spirit progressed with perfect 3-0 records and will begin the playoffs as the tournament favorites. They are joined by Aurora, Legacy, NAVI, The MongolZ, FUT, and Astralis.
The quarterfinal matchups promise several exciting storylines. NAVI will face The MongolZ in a rematch that could serve as redemption after previous losses earlier in the year. Aurora and Legacy will meet again after their chaotic Stage 2 opener that featured multiple overtime maps.
On the opposite side of the bracket, MOUZ will take on FUT in a clash between the most dominant team of the Swiss stage and one of its biggest surprise contenders. Spirit will face Astralis in the final quarterfinal matchup.
With the online stage concluded, attention now shifts to the LAN finals in Stockholm's Annexet arena. If the chaos of the Swiss rounds is any indication, the playoff stage could deliver even more surprises.
Xaxas
11.03.2026
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