ESL Pro League S22 full list announced
On July 8, 2025, ESL officially released the full list of participants and groupings for the 22nd season of “ESL Pro League” (abbreviated as EPL S22). This one of the most influential CS2 professional leagues in the world will hold offline competitions in Malta from September 3 to 29, 2025, when 24 world-class teams will compete for a $500,000 prize and valuable EPL points and ESL event system qualifications. Malta war reignites, 24 strong teams aim for the championship.
This season’s team composition continues to use the “12+12” model: 12 ESL partner teams automatically receive direct invitations, and the remaining 12 advance through the ESL Challenger track, regional points rankings and other related events.
List of participating teams
The strong will always be strong, and newcomers will enter the game.
ESL Partner Teams:
These teams automatically receive participation because they have a long-term cooperation agreement with ESL. Including:
NAVI
FaZe
Vitality
G2
MOUZ
Heroic
Complexity
ENCE
FURIA
NIP
BIG
Astralis
Non-cooperative teams (Qualifier Teams):
The 12 teams that emerged through various paths are as follows:
Virtus.pro (ESL Challenger Katowice champion)
SAW (ESL Challenger Jönköping champion)
FlyQuest (highest points in North America)
The MongolZ (highest points in Asia)
9z Team (highest points in South America)
3DMAX (European points qualification)
FORZE
BetBoom
PERA Esports
Eternal Fire
M80
Aurora Gaming
As many as 7 non-cooperative teams in this competition have qualified for the EPL main event for the first time, showing the vitality of the regional CS ecosystem, especially the increasingly fierce competition in the Asia-Pacific and CIS regions.
Group structure and competition system changes
The teams will be divided into four groups (Group A to D), with 6 teams in each group, using a double elimination system (GSL format). The top three teams in each group will advance to the knockout stage:
The first place will directly advance to the quarterfinals;
The second and third places will enter the first knockout round (Round of 12).
ESL has not yet announced the specific group list, but according to tradition, the group will be based on the HLTV world ranking and regional balance factors.
The total prize pool is $500,000, and the champion will receive $200,000, ESL Pro Tour points and a direct invitation to IEM Katowice 2026.
Highlights
The strong teams gather again, can the newcomers disrupt the situation?
FaZe vs Vitality meet again?
As the champions and runners-up of the previous seasons of EPL, FaZe and Vitality are very interesting every time they compete. The duel between ZywOo and broky is still the core focus.
The collective rise of new Eastern European forces
Teams representing Eastern European forces such as Aurora, BetBoom, and FORZE have entered the main competition. Whether the EPL pattern will change in the future remains unknown.
Will The MongolZ continue to write the dark horse myth?
Since IEM Chengdu in 2024, the Mongolian team The MongolZ has defeated the top European teams many times. Its performance in S22 will determine the international status of Asia-Pacific CS2.
The competition system is stable and the viewing experience is improved
The continued GSL group double elimination system and BO3 game setting allow the audience to see more strong dialogues and avoid the upset of “one round tour”.
Key time points
Group stage: September 3 – 16, 2025
Knockout stage: September 22 – 29, 2025
Event location: Hotel Inter Continental, Malta (offline LAN event)
Conclusion
The collision of the old and the new, another milestone in the new era of CS2.
ESL Pro League S22 is one of the most important CS2 events in the second half of 2025. It will not only affect the global team rankings at the end of the year, but also indicate which teams have the strength to impact IEM Katowice and Major events. With the rise of non-cooperative teams and the development of diversified regions, the EPL stage will be more diverse and full of variables.
Fans can watch the live broadcast of the event through the official ESL Twitch channel, YouTube and related live broadcast platforms. Lock in September and let us witness who will win the championship in Malta.
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