We are thrilled to witness the competitive ESL Pro League Season 21 reaching its playoff stage! After a riveting series of matches featuring many of the world’s top Counter-Strike teams, only 8 squads now remain in contention. A journey that began with 24 talented rosters is down to a select few that have demonstrated resilience and mastery through multiple group stages. With a single-elimination bracket and monumental pressure riding on every best-of-three match, we cannot wait to see who will emerge triumphant on March 16.
The ESL Pro League Season 21 commenced with 24 qualified teams spread across two separate group stages. Each group stage adopted a Swiss System format, meaning teams had to secure three match victories in order to advance. The top squads from the first group stage moved on to the second group stage, while others unfortunately dropped out of the competition. Only the most consistent and in-form teams managed to survive both waves of the group phase, leaving us with eight rosters that have proven their worth.
Qualified Teams for Season 21 Playoffs
- Team Spirit (3-0)
- Team Vitality (3-0)
- MOUZ (3-1)
- NAVI (3-1)
- The MongolZ (3-1)
- G2 (3-2)
- Eternal Fire (3-2)
- Team Liquid (3-2)
Each of these teams has showcased tactical depth, adaptability across maps, and sheer firepower. They are now positioned to compete for the largest shares of the $100,000 and $50,000 prizes for first and second place, respectively, during the concluding stage of the event. However, an even bigger incentive looms in the grand final, where a total of $250,000 is on offer for the ultimate victor. While the playoffs have traditionally been held in front of an audience in Malta, this time the event unfolds in a closed studio environment in Stockholm, amplifying the tension and focus for the players.
Leading the pack in the playoffs is Team Spirit, a formidable roster that carved out a flawless 3-0 record in Stage 2. They made their presence felt early by achieving consecutive sweeps over seasoned teams such as TYLOO, SAW, and The MongolZ. Team Spirit’s quarterfinal challenge arrives in the form of a rematch against Eternal Fire, a showdown that evokes memories of their intense BLAST Bounty grand final from January. Eternal Fire will be eager to rewrite the narrative, but Spirit’s undefeated run suggests a formidable obstacle to overcome.
Next, we have Team Vitality, who catapulted themselves to the top of Group Stage 2 through an outstanding 3-0 performance. Their impressive results featured a reverse sweep over MIBR and consecutive sweeps against 3DMAX and MOUZ. They concluded the group stage with a stellar +36 round difference. Vitality’s opening playoff match pits them against Team Liquid, the lowest-ranked squad in the bracket, yet a team known for stepping up in big tournaments.
Natus Vincere experienced a shaky start to Stage 2, suffering a surprising loss to SAW in their opener (13-3 on Inferno, 9-13 on Nuke, 4-13 on Ancient). The defeat served as a wake-up call, and NAVI responded with a reverse sweep of TYLOO (10-13 on Inferno, 13-5 on Mirage, 13-5 on Ancient) before defeating paiN (16-14 on Train, 13-6 on Mirage) and G2 (13-9 on Mirage, 13-6 on Ancient). The playoffs will see NAVI face off against The MongolZ, a team that has won fans across the world with their bold playstyle and relentless passion. NAVI’s depth of experience on big stages could be their greatest asset.
Often regarded as underdogs, The MongolZ have repeatedly proven doubters wrong by posting strong results across multiple events. Their Stage 2 performance started with a commanding sweep of GamerLegion (13-9 on Inferno, 16-14 on Mirage) and a thrilling best-of-three victory over G2. Even though they suffered a setback against Team Spirit, they bounced back to dominate 3DMAX and seize a spot in the playoffs with a 3-1 record. As they gear up to face NAVI, fans can expect tense matches marked by highlight-worthy plays.
MOUZ clinched their playoff berth in a similarly dramatic manner. They scored a noteworthy victory against FURIA (13-9 on Train, 13-16 on Inferno, 13-11 on Nuke) and then rolled past Falcons (13-7 on Train, 13-9 on Nuke) in the opening two rounds. After a setback at the hands of Vitality, MOUZ rebounded with an impressive sweep over Team Liquid (13-8 on Ancient, 13-4 on Nuke) to lock in their place in the playoffs. They now square off against G2 in the opening round—another exhilarating matchup pitting two highly talented squads against each other.
Eternal Fire’s playoff hopes were hanging by a thread as they progressed to the decisive round five. With an overall record of 2-2, they had no room for error. In a dramatic final series, they clinched a spot in the last eight by outlasting Falcons in three maps (13-8 on Inferno, 13-16 on Mirage, 13-9 on Dust II).
Eternal Fire thrives on a high-tempo playstyle, characterized by relentless aggression and crisp aim duels. Their upcoming quarterfinal match against Team Spirit means they must maintain their laser-focus if they hope to counteract the potent synergy of the current world number one.
Team Liquid also narrowly qualified with a 3-2 record. After several back-and-forth matches, they needed a decisive win in the fifth round against 3DMAX (13-11 on Inferno, 6-13 on Ancient, 13-4 on Anubis). That final tiebreaker epitomized Liquid’s characteristic grit, as they recovered from mid-series adversity to secure their playoff spot. As the lowest-ranked team left in the bracket, Liquid will face a daunting opener against Team Vitality, and we are wondering where this could lead them.
G2 have secured the final bracket stage berth after defeating GamerLegion 2-0 (13-11 on Inferno, 13-9 on Nuke) in the decisive 2-2 pool match. They looked superb in wins over paiN and SAW, but suffered a difficult loss to The MongolZ after giving up an 11-2 lead and struggled against Natus Vincere due to numerous costly mistakes. That type of sloppiness resurfaced in the early moments of the GamerLegion series, as G2 dropped a 5v2 in the opener on Inferno. However, Ashley “ash” Battye’s men couldn’t do enough to capitalize on G2’s shaky start, and Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov led the charge with exceptional play.
The Playoff Bracket and Schedule
With our eight playoff contenders locked in, the bracket structure sets the stage for intense showdowns:
- Team Spirit vs. Eternal Fire
- Team Vitality vs. Team Liquid
- MOUZ vs. G2
- NAVI vs. The MongolZ
The ESL Pro League Season 21 playoffs commence on March 13 and run until March 16, culminating in a best-of-five grand final on Sunday. The winning team will earn $250,000, while second place pockets a handsome consolation prize. Every match is a single-elimination best-of-three, meaning any loss could result in immediate elimination and heartbreak.
