ESL Pro League one of the largest tournaments in CS:GO by length and the amount of teams participating. It should by now be a familiar site on the Counter-Strike calendar, as we reach it’s seventeenth season. A number quite extraordinary when you consider CS:GO is only 10 years old. This guide will explain everything from the teams competing, the tournament favourites and how to win ESL Pro League Season 17.
What is ESL Pro League Season 17?
ESL Pro League has taken many forms over the last few years, whether that be in its format or location. Unlike IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne, ESL Pro League isn’t in a set location each year. That being said, it will now have a home in Malta until 2024. Having the tournament in Malta keeps it on neutral ground for all of the teams involved. Season 17 begins on February 22 and finishes March 26 - that’s over a month of tier-1 Counter-Strike!
The tournament will run its four groups over four weeks and finish with a huge single-elimination Playoff stage. The total prize pool is $850,000 with the first-place team taking home $200,000 and qualification to IEM Cologne 2023.
Which teams will be at ESL Pro League Season 17?
For anyone who tuned into ESL Pro League Season 16, you’ll notice the list of team seems longer. Along with the format changes, Season 17 will feature an additional eight teams, bringing the total to 32 teams. Many of the teams competing are ESL Partner Teams, but some have qualified through regional Conference leagues and ESL Challenger events, such as ESL Challenger Rotterdam (Outsiders) and ESL Challenger Melbourne (paiN Gaming).
If you want more information on the individual groups, you can check out our more detailed group articles that are being released across ESL Pro League Season 17.
What is the route to the ESL Pro League Season 17 grand final?
The tournament is split into four groups that are made up of eight teams. Each group is a double-elimination bracket, which also features a Last Chance Stage. This new Stage is to determine the exact placements of each of the teams in each group. Due to the increase in the number of teams at the event, more teams will make it into the Playoff bracket.
To make it to Playoffs you must come in the top four of your group. Three spots are acquired from the main group stage, two from the teams that make the Upper final and the winner of the Lower final. The final spot is given to the winner of the Last Chance Stage. It’s no longer a system where each team plays every other team once, which could make qualification very dependent on how easy your side of the bracket is.
The Playoff bracket is single-elimination and features two preliminary rounds before it reaches the Quarter-finals, at which point it becomes a traditional eight team single-elimination bracket. All matches are best of threes, except for the Grand Final which will be a best of five.
Who will win ESL Pro League Season 17?
Due to the sheer number of teams at this event, it’s tough to say who the outright winner will be. There’s a lot of room for upsets, but also a lot of forgiveness in the new bracket for the top teams to make it to Playoffs. At the time of writing, the favourites are G2 (3.010*), FaZe Clan (6.360*) and Heroic (5.500*).
Vitality (9.000*) won ESL Pro League Season 16 in a close best of five against Team Liquid (11.000*), and either of these teams could rival those at the top. Each group will have a favourite to win, but how impactful will a team’s placement in the Playoff bracket be to their run to the Grand Final?
*Odds are subject to change
How do you bet on ESL Pro League Season 17?
Betting on esports is easy; however, beginners might need a guide to navigate the various methods available for making a bet. To help, we’ve prepared a handy guide for those looking to place a bet during ESL Pro League Season 17.
Pinnacle offers a number of markets for CS:GO enthusiasts to bet on during ESL Pro League Season 17. The most popular market for esports bettors is the Money Line, which is a bet on the winner of a particular match. Futures markets are also on offer, if bettors want to bet on the team that will win ESL Pro League Season 17.
If you’re an eagle-eyed bettor, be sure to stay updated on our ESL Pro League Season 17 odds page. Pinnacle will offer the best CS:GO odds and a wide variety of different markets, both pre-match and in-play.
