{"id":29753,"date":"2025-10-03T22:14:31","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T22:14:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/?p=29753"},"modified":"2025-10-09T13:58:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T13:58:14","slug":"cs2-esl-pro-league-stage-2-preview-top-contenders-dark-horses-underdogs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/news\/cs-2\/cs2-esl-pro-league-stage-2-preview-top-contenders-dark-horses-underdogs\/","title":{"rendered":"CS2 ESL Pro League Stage 2 Preview: Top Contenders, Dark Horses &amp; Underdogs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>ESL Pro League Stage 2 <\/strong>kicks off tomorrow, <strong>October 4<\/strong>, and will run until <strong>October 10<\/strong>. Sixteen teams will have to fight for a playoff stage, and only eight teams will make it through. The top 5 teams in the world are participating &#8211; <strong>Vitality<\/strong>, <strong>Spirit<\/strong>, <strong>TheMongolZ<\/strong>, <strong>MOUZ<\/strong>, and <strong>FURIA<\/strong>; all of these teams have something to prove and will try hard to keep their spot in the rankings. Here we will break down the Stage 2 format, teams list, and share our opinion on the favorites &amp; underdogs of this stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">ESL Pro League Season 22 Stage 2 Format<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>16 Team Swiss System Format<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>All matches are Bo3<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Top 8 teams proceed to Playoffs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">ESL Pro League Season 22 Stage 2 Teams<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"195\" src=\"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/eslteams-1024x195.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-29756\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/eslteams-1024x195.png 1024w, https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/eslteams-300x57.png 300w, https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/eslteams-768x146.png 768w, https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/eslteams-150x29.png 150w, https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/eslteams-450x86.png 450w, https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/eslteams.png 1092w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">ESL Pro League Stage 2 Teams<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td>Vitality<\/td><td>Spirit<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>TheMongolZ<\/td><td>MOUZ<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>FURIA<\/td><td>Aurora<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>FaZe<\/td><td>Falcons<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>G2<\/td><td>Gentle Mates<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Astralis<\/td><td>Inner Circle<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>GamerLegion<\/td><td>3DMAX<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>HOTU<\/td><td>Natus Vincere<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">ESL Pro League Season 22 &#8211; Stage 2 &#8211; Teams<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">ESL Pro League Season 22 Stage 2 Favorites &amp; Underdogs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/g2win-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-29758\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/g2win-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/g2win-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/g2win-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/g2win-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/g2win-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/g2win-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/g2win-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/g2win.jpg 1800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">G2 &#8211; BLAST Fall Champions<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Top Contenders<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For the Top Contenders list, we would name <strong>Vitality<\/strong>, <strong>TheMongolZ<\/strong>, <strong>FURIA<\/strong>, <strong>Spirit, <\/strong>and <strong>MOUZ <\/strong>as the top five teams, but we would also include<a href=\"https:\/\/liquipedia.net\/counterstrike\/BLAST\/Open\/2025\/Fall\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/liquipedia.net\/counterstrike\/BLAST\/Open\/2025\/Fall\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <strong>BLAST Fall<\/strong><\/a> champions <strong>G2<\/strong>. As there are eight spots at the playoff stage, we would also like to add teams like<strong> Falcons <\/strong>and <strong>FaZe <\/strong>to that list, considering both teams&#8217; recent performance at different tournaments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dark Horses<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As for the dark horses team, it will be <strong>Natus Vincere<\/strong>, <strong>Aurora<\/strong>, <strong>Astralis, <\/strong>and <strong>GamerLegion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Natus Vincere <\/strong>was one of the best teams last year, and they might see them getting their form back any time, as they have all the individual skills and experience they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Aurora <\/strong>has been to a few playoff stages of recent tournaments, but their inconsistency has raised questions about them. If they find consistency, they will be one of the top contenders to make it to the playoff stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Astralis <\/strong>and <strong>GamerLegion <\/strong>are on this list because they have had some success at previous tournaments, and on a good day, they can beat most of the teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Underdogs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The rest of the participating teams will be on the underdog list as they all have less experience and results or achievements to judge from. It&#8217;s worth mentioning teams like <strong>HOTU <\/strong>and <strong>3DMAX,<\/strong> who beat a few top teams at the most recent tournament and showed their potential.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stage 2 Opening Matches Schedule<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">October 4<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>MOUZ <\/strong>vs. <strong>GamerLegion <\/strong>and <strong>Spirit <\/strong>vs. <strong>Inner Circle <\/strong>starting at<strong> 10:30 CET<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Falcons <\/strong>vs. <strong>Astralis <\/strong>and <strong>TheMongolZ <\/strong>vs. <strong>HOTU <\/strong>starting at <strong>13:00 CET<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Aurora <\/strong>vs. <strong>Natus Vincere <\/strong>and <strong>Vitality <\/strong>vs. <strong>Gentle Mates <\/strong>starting at <strong>15:30 CET<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>G2 <\/strong>vs. <strong>FaZe <\/strong>and <strong>FURIA <\/strong>vs. <strong>3DMAX <\/strong>starting at <strong>18:00 CET<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Watch ESL Pro League Season 22<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"340\" src=\"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/twitch-1024x340.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-29755\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/twitch-1024x340.png 1024w, https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/twitch-300x100.png 300w, https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/twitch-768x255.png 768w, https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/twitch-150x50.png 150w, https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/twitch-450x149.png 450w, https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/twitch.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Streaming Platform Twitch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Catch every match live on the official ESL streams:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.twitch.tv\/ESLCS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.twitch.tv\/ESLCS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ESL Pro League<\/a> Official Twitch Primary Stream<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/ESLCS\/streams\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.twitch.tv\/ESLCS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ESL Pro League<\/a> Official YouTube Stream<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.twitch.tv\/ESLCSb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.twitch.tv\/ESLCS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ESL Pro League<\/a> 2025 Official Twitch Secondary Stream<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You can tune in from anywhere\u2014home, work, or on the go\u2014and never miss a clutch moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who Will Rise in Stage 2?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Stage 2 of <a href=\"https:\/\/pro.eslgaming.com\/csgo\/proleague\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/pro.eslgaming.com\/csgo\/proleague\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>ESL Pro League Season 22<\/strong> <\/a>is shaping up to be one of the most competitive chapters of the year. With elite world-class teams like <strong>Vitality<\/strong>, <strong>TheMongolZ<\/strong>, and <strong>Spirit <\/strong>fighting to show the best level of, and dark horses like <strong>Natus Vincere <\/strong>and <strong>Aurora <\/strong>looking to upset the balance, every series will count. The tournament format leaves little room for mistakes \u2014 one bad day could cost a playoff spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This stage promises big storylines, huge upsets, and highlight plays that will be remembered. The only question is: which team will rise and claim their spot in the playoffs?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ESL Pro League Stage 2 kicks off tomorrow, October 4, and will run until October 10. Sixteen teams will have to fight for a playoff stage, and only eight teams will make it through. The top 5 teams in the world are participating &#8211; Vitality, Spirit, TheMongolZ, MOUZ, and FURIA; all of these teams have<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":29759,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[5,247],"class_list":{"0":"post-29753","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cs-2","8":"tag-cs2","9":"tag-cs2-tournaments"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29753","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/75"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29753"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29753\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29927,"href":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29753\/revisions\/29927"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}