ESL Challenger Katowice came to a thrilling conclusion on June 11, as Virtus.pro rose above the competition to lift the coveted trophy, take home $50,000 of the $100,000 total prize pool, and earn a spot in the upcoming ESL Pro League (EPL) Season 18!
ESL Challenger provides an opportunity for rising Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) teams to prove themselves and climb the ladder within the ESL Pro Tour (EPT) for CS:GO to ultimately reach the top. As the tournament made its way to the Polish city of Katowice – a place that has solidified its position as a breeding ground for new champions for over a decade – it was a remarkable moment for Virtus.pro to emerge victorious.
This weekend was filled with many exciting moments as eight teams faced off in ESL Challenger Katowice. After a flawless performance in Group A, Virtus.pro was the first team to confirm their spot in the Playoffs, followed by ENCE, 9z, and FORZE. Continuing their dominating streak, Virtus.pro secured their spot in the Grand Final after a 2-0 win against 9z, while ENCE effortlessly progressed after a 2-0 win over FORZE in the other Semi-final matchup.
After three thrilling maps of the Grand Final and both teams showcasing their skills and determination, Virtus.pro ruled over the reigning Intel® Extreme Masters (IEM) Dallas 2023 Champions ENCE and managed to secure a hard-fought victory with a 2-1 score.
By winning ESL Challenger Katowice, Virtus.pro has now qualified for the next season of EPL, which is set to take place in Malta, beginning on August 30 and running for five weeks until October 1. The tournament will see 32 of the world’s best CS:GO teams pit against one another to ultimately secure the coveted title, the lion’s share of the $850,000 prize pool, and a win in the Intel® Grand Slam V race.
This is what the current line-up for EPL Season 18 looks like:
- Astralis (Partner team)
- BIG (Partner team)
- Complexity (Partner team)
- ENCE (Partner team)
- Evil Geniuses (Partner team)
- FaZe Clan (Partner team)
- Fnatic (Partner team)
- FURIA (Partner team)
- G2 Esports (Partner team)
- Heroic (Partner team)
- MOUZ (Partner team)
- Natus Vincere (Partner team)
- Ninjas in Pyjamas (Partner team)
- Team Liquid (Partner team)
- Team Vitality (Partner team)
- Movistar Riders (Qualified via ESL Challenger Melbourne)
- Virtus.pro (Qualified via ESL Challenger Katowice)
- Monte (Qualified via ECL S44 EU)
- MIBR (Qualified via ECL S44 NA)
- Lynn Vision (Qualified via ECL S44 Asia)
- Apeks (Qualified via ECL S45 EU)
- ATK (Qualified via ECL S45 NA)
- Rare Atom (Qualified via ECL S45 Asia)
- The remaining nine teams will qualify via ESL National Championships (four teams), their spot in the ESL World Ranking (three teams), or regional qualifiers (two teams).