ESL Pro League is arguably the biggest tournament in CS:GO<\/em> ecosystem. Season 17, which begins on Feb. 22, features a new format, which will see 32 teams battling it out for a lion’s share of $850,000, and a spot at both IEM Cologne 2023 and BLAST Premier World Final 2023.<\/p>
The new format still relies on having four groups of competition to start the event, with 32 teams now in play. Groups will have eight teams each and feature a triple-elimination bracket. Each group will see four teams advancing to the playoffs, where the best squads will be placed directly in the quarterfinals, the second-best teams in the round of 12, and the third and fourth rosters landing in the round of 16.<\/p>
Fans will be able to tune in to watch some of the strongest squads in CS:GO<\/em> as of now, since all 15 permanent partner teams like FaZe Clan, Team Liquid, Heroic, and Team Vitality will be joined by the winners of other events. The latter include for example ESL Challenger Rotterdam 2022 and IEM CS:GO<\/em> Rio Major winners, Outsiders or ESL Challenger Melbourne 2022 winners, paiN Gaming.<\/p>
All in all, with such a complex bracket and arguably the best teams from all around the world, ESL Pro League season 17 is shaping up to be one of the fiercest tournaments in 2023. <\/p>
Here’s everything you need to know about ESL Pro League season 17.<\/p>