ESL Pro League Season 20: Schedule, Teams, Format & More

ESL FACEIT Group has announced all the details for ESL Pro League Season 20, including the schedule, attending teams, prize pool, broadcast talent, and more. The ESL Pro League (EPL) is set to make an exhilarating return to St. Julian’s, Malta, on September 3-22 for another exciting season. The world’s biggest Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) league will see some intense action as 32 of the world’s best teams gather onsite for three weeks of high-stakes competition, with a $750,000 prize pool on the line.

ESL Pro League Season 20 will also earn the victors a win in the race to secure Intel Grand Slam V and a spot at the first ESL Pro Tour Championship tournament of 2025.

The group stage begins September 3, with players from around the world facing off in Malta in an attempt to advance to the Playoff stage of the competition. The season finale will see the six best teams go head-to-head live in front of a live audience at the InterContinental Malta on September 20-22. 

Schedule and Format

Group Stage: September 3-16

• The 32 teams will be divided into four groups of eight and compete against each other in a triple-elimination bracket featuring best-of-three matches. The top four teams from each group will advance to the Playoffs.
  • Group A&B: September 3-8
  • Group C&D: September 10-15

Playoffs: September 17-21

• The Playoffs will see the 16 best teams face off in best-of-three matches in the single elimination bracket. 

Grand Finals: September 22

The Grand Finals will feature the top two teams of the Playoffs facing off in a best-of-five series. The winner will be crowned ESL Pro League Season 20 Champion, take home the top prize of $170,000, and qualify for the first ESL Pro Tour Championship event of 2025.

Teams

EPL Season 20 will feature back-to-back Season 18 and 19 Champions MOUZ, who are attempting to become the first team in history to win three EPL tournaments in a row.

• Astralis (Partner Team)
• BIG (Partner Team)
• Complexity Gaming (Partner Team)
• ENCE (Partner Team)
• FaZe Clan (Partner Team)
• Fnatic (Partner Team)
• FURIA Esports (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)
• MIBR (ESL Challenger Melbourne 2024 Winner)
• Team Falcons (ESL Challenger Jönköping 2024 Runner-up*)
• Sangal Esports (ESL Challenger League Season 47 – Europe Winner)
• KOI (ESL Challenger League Season 47 – Europe Runner-up)
• M80 (ESL Challenger League Season 47 – North America Winner)
• Wildcard Gaming (ESL Challenger League Season 47 – North America Runner-up)
• Lynn Vision Gaming (ESL Challenger League Season 47 – Asia Winner)
• ATOX Esports (ESL Challenger League Season 47 – Asia Runner-up)
• Imperial Esports (ESL Challenger League Season 47 – South America Winner)
• RED Canids (ESL Challenger League Season 47 – South America Runner-up)
• FlyQuest (ESL Challenger League Season 47 – Oceania Winner)
• Rooster (ESL Challenger League Season 47 – Oceania Runner-up)
• 3DMAX (ESL Pro League Season 20 – EU Pre-Qualifier Winner)
• Team Spirit (ESL World Ranking Global)
• Virtus.pro (ESL World Ranking Global)
• The MongolZ (ESL World Ranking Global)
• 9z Globant (ESL World Ranking Global)
• Eternal Fire (ESL World Ranking Global)

Prize Pool (USD)

Tickets

Fans eager to cheer for their favorite teams during the final three days of the competition on September 20-22 from the Mediterranean island’s St. Julian’s can purchase one-day or three-day tickets. More information on ticket types and prices is available on the EPL website.

Where to Watch

The live broadcast will be available on FACEIT Watch, ESL FACEIT Group’s premier esports viewing platform created by esports fans for esports fans and open for all. Featuring a unique multi-perspective view selector where users can watch their favorite player’s perspective directly next to the main event stream, a live chat, a kill cam, live-generated replays of key moments, a sound mixer, a rewards program, and more, FACEIT Watch revolutionizes esports streaming by putting fans in control of their viewing experience.

Fans can also watch the action on the ESL Counter-Strike Twitch and YouTube channels. For those unable to tune in live, all matches will also be available to watch on-demand for free via YouTube.