Season 19 of Counter-Strike’s ESL Pro League is upon us, with this edition the second since the launch of CS2. Featuring the same condensed mega-format as Season 18, you won’t go hungry watching the greatest players battle for big prizes.
This is the first event following the Major where champs Natus Vincere will appear, while fellow Copenhagen finalists FaZe Clan enter EPL S19 fresh off their win at IEM Chengdu. With the bulk of CS2‘s top 30 present, expect fireworks as they battle for a piece of Counter-Strike glory and a spot at the Lanxess Arena later this year.
Here’s everything you need to know about CS2 ESL Pro LeagueSeason 19.
ESL Pro League Season 19 CS2 format
ESL Pro League Season 19 features a massive 32 teams and 79 best-of-three series, with the ultimate winner walking away $170,000 USD richer. Importantly, the winner also joins Team Spirit and FaZe Clan at IEM Cologne, receiving a direct invite to the million-dollar event.
The 32 teams have been split into four groups of eight, where each will play through a triple-elimination bracket. Apart from the upper final where both teams qualify for the playoffs, three losses mean a team is eliminated. Two qualify from the upper bracket, one via the middle, and one from the lower bracket per group.
- Upper bracket final winner: Quarterfinal seed
- Upper bracket final loser: Round of 12 seed
- Middle bracket final winner: Round of 12 seed
- Lower bracket final winner: Round of 16 seed
When all is said and done, 16 teams will remain and be sorted into the playoffs. From there, it’s single elimination best-of-threes to the grand final, which is a best-of-five.
ESL Pro League Season 19 CS2 schedule and results
Group A (April 23 to 28)
All match times are in Central Time (CT).
Tuesday, April 23
- 6:30am
- VP vs. Fnatic
- 3DMAX vs. SAW
- 9:30am
- Astralis vs. Eternal Fire
- 12:30pm
The remaining schedule is to be determined: Check back soon.
Group B (April 23 to 28)
Tuesday, April 23
Wednesday, April 24
- 6:30am
- Falcons vs. MongolZ
- TYLOO vs. G2
The remaining schedule is to be determined: Check back soon.
Group C (April 30 to May 5)
Tuesday, April 30
- 6:30am
- MOUZ vs. BNK
- ENCE vs. GamerLegion
- 12:30pm
- FURIA vs. Liquid
- FORZE vs. Monte
The remaining schedule is to be determined: Check back soon.
Group D (April 30 to May 5)
Tuesday, April 30
- 9:30am
- Complexity vs. PERA
- NiP vs. HEROIC
Wednesday, May 1
- 6:30am
- BOSS vs. BIG
- FlyQuest vs. NAVI
The remaining schedule is to be determined: Check back soon.
Playoffs May 7 to 12
The full schedule for the playoff stage will be available shortly.
ESL Pro League Season 19 CS2 streams: How to watch
ESL Pro League Season 19 will be broadcast live on Twitch and YouTube. If you missed the action, head to ESL’s respective channels for spoiler-free VODs available following the conclusion of each matchday.
With two groups running each week, matches will be played simultaneously across two streams. Broadcasts in other languages are available. Check the official Liquipedia event page for more information and streams.
