ESL Pro League Season 2

ESL Pro League Season 2 (officially known as ESL ESEA Pro League Season 2; shortened as EPL Season 2) was an Electronic Sports League (ESL) Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament. It was the second season of the ESL Pro League. The Finals took place in Burbank, California, United States from December 10 to December 13, 2015. The regular season for Europe began on September 9, 2015, with Ninjas in Pyjamas beating Team EnVyUs and ended with Team EnVyUs defeating mousesports. North America's season began on the same date and kicked off with compLexity Gaming defeating Enemy and concluded with Team Liquid defeating Enemy. The season ended with Fnatic defeating Natus Vincere in a close best of five finals, 3–2. Teams from two continents, North America and Europe, competed in twelve team leagues and play against each other twice to determine the top four teams from each continent would play in the Finals.[1]

ESL Pro League
2016
Tournament information
SportCounter-Strike: Global Offensive
LocationLondon, United Kingdom
DatesFebruary 9, 2016–May 15, 2016.
AdministratorElectronic Sports League (ESL)
Teams24 teams
PurseUS$250,000 for Finals
US$125,000 for Preliminaries
Final positions
ChampionsFnatic
1st runners-upNatus Vincere
2nd runners-up? (ex-TSM)
Team EnVyUs

Format

edit

Each continent featured the top nine teams from last season's ESL Pro League Season 1, the winning team from ESEA Season 19: Premier Division for North America and the winning team from ESEA Season 21: Premier Division for Europe, and two teams from the ESL Pro League Season 1 Relegation. North America had one more spot remaining after roster of eLevate disbanded, so ESL invited one more team to complete the twelve team league. Teams within each continent will play each other twice to determine the top four teams to the Finals in Burbank. The regular season spanned to eleven weeks of play and all these matches were played online.

The top four teams after the conclusion of the regular season moved on to Burbank to play in the Finals; in addition, those teams were invited to next season's ESL Pro League. Teams that placed fifth to ninth place did not make the Finals, but were invited to next season's ESL Pro League. The teams in ninth and tenth place were required to play in Season 2's Relegation match, in which two teams from each continent play to see which team moves on to next season's ESL Pro League. The teams in twelfth place would have no chance to redeem themselves and were automatically demoted to the premier division.

The Finals consisted of eight teams, four from Europe and four from North America. These teams will be separated into two groups – the first and third seeds from North America and the second and fourth seeds from Europe will be in one group and the other teams in the other group. The group stage will consist of the highest seed going against the lowest seed and the middle two seeds against each other, both games in a best of one format. The winners will play in a best of one to determine one team in the Playoffs; the losers will play in a best of three to determine which team gets eliminated from the tournament. The remaining two teams will play in a best of three to determine which team will be the second team in the group to move on to the Playoffs. In the Playoffs, the semifinals will be a best of three and the finals will be a best of five. The winner of the finals will win the tournament and the top prize. All games in the Finals will be played offline.

Teams

edit
North America
Europe

North America

edit

Broadcast Talent

edit

Commentators

  • Cory "megaman" Gilbert
  • John "BLU" Mullen
  • Jason "moses" O'Toole

Final standings

edit
Final Standings
Place Prize Money Team W-L RF-RA RD Pts Roster Coach
1st US$18,000 Team Liquid 18-4 340-212 +128 54 adreN, ELiGE, FugLy, Hiko, nitr0 GBJame^s
2nd US$16,500 Luminosity Gaming 16-6 294-197 +97 48 boltz, coldzera, FalleN, fer, steel nak
3rd US$15,000 Conquest 15-7 324-236 +88 45 daps, NAF, stanislaw, RUSH, ShahZaM pauLy
4th US$13,500 Counter Logic Gaming 14-8 301-245 +56 42 hazed, jdm64, reltuC, tarik, FNS
5th US$13,000 compLexity Gaming 12-10 341-293 +48 36 autimatic, roca, sancz, valens, Semphis Warden
6th US$11,500 Cloud9 12-10 295-246 +49 36 fREAKAZOiD, n0thing, sgares, Skadoodle, shroud
7th US$10,000 3sUP Enterprises 11-11 284-280 +4 33 abE, arya, Professor_Chaos, jasonR, wabbit
8th US$8,500 Enemy 10-12 276-291 -15 30 Anomaly, koosta, MAiNLiNE, Relyks, Uber Ryu
9th US$7,000 SapphireKelownaDotCom 8-14 250-291 -41 24 els, hades, OCEAN, FGB, inVert
10th US$5,500 Method 8-14 246-276 -30 24 just9n, SileNt3m, streboR, Toy, DAVEY
11th US$4,000 Winterfox 8-14 270-302 -32 24 anger, desi, flowsicK, LeX, Xp3
12th Coastless1 draWsouL, lemz, ScrunK

1Coastless disbands before the season starts, forcing the team to forfeit all games.

Europe

edit

Broadcast Talent

edit

Commentators

  • Anders Blume
  • Mitch "Uber" Leslie
  • Auguste "Semmler" Massonnat
  • Alex "Machine" Richardson
  • Lauren "Pansy" Scott
  • Leigh "Deman" Smith
Final Standings
Place Prize Money Team W-L RF-RA RD Pts Roster Coach
1st US$18,000 Team SoloMid 18-4 342-215 +127 54 cajunb, dev1ce, dupreeh, karrigan, Xyp9x 3k2
2nd US$16,500 Fnatic 17-5 337-255 +82 51 dennis, flusha, KRiMZ, JW, olofmeister vuggo
3rd US$15,000 Natus Vincere 14-8 325-267 +58 42 Edward, flamie, GuardiaN, seized, Zeus starix
4th US$13,500 Team EnVyUs 14-8 311-266 +45 42 apEX, Happy, kennyS, kioShiMa, NBK-
5th US$13,000 Titan 12-10 270-294 -24 36 Rpk, shox, SmithZz, Ex6TenZ, ScreaM
6th US$11,500 Team Dignitas 12-10 269-287 -18 36 Kjaerbye, k0nfig, MSL, tenzki, RUBINO zonic
7th US$10,000 Ninjas in Pyjamas 11-11 294-265 +29 33 f0rest, friberg, GeT RiGhT, Xizt, allu
8th US$8,500 mousesports 9-13 278-298 -20 27 denis, gob b, nex, chrisJ, NiKo
9th US$7,000 Virtus.pro 8-14 257-322 -65 24 byali, NEO, pashaBiceps, Snax, TaZ kuben
10th US$5,500 SK Gaming 6-16 256-304 -48 18 AcillioN, cadiaN, Friis, Magiskb0y, MODDII
11th US$4,000 HellRaisers 6-16 256-304 -61 18 ANGE1, kUcheR, oskar, schenider, STYKO
12th US$2,500 PENTA Sports 5-17 213-318 -105 15 kRYSTAL, Spiidi, strux1, tabseN, tahsiN

Finals

edit

The finalized teams are shown below. Each team's world ranking for December 8, 2015 is also shown.

North America
Europe

Broadcast Talent

edit

Host

  • Alex "Machine" Richardson

Commentators

  • Anders Blume
  • Sean "sgares" Gares
  • Corey "Megaman" Gilbert
  • Robin "Fifflaren" Johansson
  • Auguste "Semmler" Massonnat
  • John "BLU" Mullen
  • Jason "moses" O'Toole
  • Lauren "Pansy" Scott
  • Matthew "Sadokist" Trivett

Observers

  • Heather "sapphiRe" Garrozo

Group stage

edit

Group A

edit
Pos Team W L RF RA RD Pts
1 Team EnVyUs 2 0 64 36 +28 6
2 Fnatic 2 1 81 68 +13 6
3 Team Liquid 1 2 85 93 -8 3
4 Conquest 0 2 43 76 -33 0
Group A Matches
Team Liquid 0 2 Team EnVyUs
Fnatic 2 0 Conquest
Fnatic 0 2 Team EnVyUs
Team Liquid 2 1 Conquest
Fnatic 2 0 Team Liquid
Group A Scores
Group A Scores
Team Score Map Score Team
Team Liquid 14 Cobblestone 16 Team EnVyUs
Team Liquid 5 Cache 16 Team EnVyUs
Team Liquid Mirage Team EnVyUs
Fnatic 16 Mirage 4 Conquest
Fnatic 16 Inferno 10 Conquest
Fnatic Cache Conquest
Fnatic 11 Cobblestone 16 Team EnVyUs
Fnatic 6 Inferno 16 Team EnVyUs
Fnatic Mirage Team EnVyUs
Team Liquid 12 Inferno 16 Conquest
Team Liquid 16 Cache 7 Conquest
Team Liquid 16 Overpass 6 Conquest
Fnatic 16 Cache 14 Tean Liquid
Fnatic 16 Mirage 8 Tean Liquid
Fnatic Dust II Team Liquid

Group B

edit
Pos Team W L RF RA RD Pts
1 ? 2 0 64 43 +21 6
2 Natus Vincere 2 1 104 85 +19 6
3 Luminosity Gaming 1 2 85 96 -11 3
4 Counter Logic Gaming 0 2 38 64 -26 0
Group B Matches
? 2 0 Counter Logic Gaming
Luminosity Gaming 0 2 Natus Vincere
? 2 0 Natus Vincere
Luminosity Gaming 2 0 Counter Logic Gaming
Natus Vincere 2 1 Luminosity Gaming
Group B Scores
Group B Scores
Team Score Map Score Team
? 16 Mirage 12 Counter Logic Gaming
? 16 Infenro 6 Counter Logic Gaming
? Train Counter Logic Gaming
Luminosity Gaming 5 Dust II 16 Natus Vincere
Luminosity Gaming 15 Inferno 19 Natus Vincere
Luminosity Gaming Overpass Natus Vincere
? 16 Train 12 Natus Vincere
? 16 Inferno 13 Natus Vincere
? Mirage Natus Vincere
Luminosity Gaming 16 Mirage 8 Counter Logic Gaming
Luminosity Gaming 16 Overpass 12 Counter Logic Gaming
Luminosity Gaming Cache Counter Logic Gaming
Natus Vincere 16 Cobblestone 11 Luminosity Gaming
Natus Vincere 12 Cobblestone 16 Luminosity Gaming
Natus Vincere 16 Mirage 6 Luminosity Gaming

Playoffs

edit

Bracket

edit
Semifinals Finals
      
Team EnVyUs 0
Natus Vincere 2
Natus Vincere 2
Fnatic 3
? 0
Fnatic 2

Semifinals

edit
Semifinals
Team Score Map Score Team
Team EnVyUs 9 Dust II 16 Natus Vincere
Team EnVyUs 18 Cobblestone 22 Natus Vincere
Team EnVyUs Mirage Natus Vincere
? 12 Inferno 16 Fnatic
? 14 Mirage 16 Fnatic
? Dust II Fnatic

Finals

edit
Finals
Team Score Map Score Team
Natus Vincere 14 Inferno 16 Fnatic
Natus Vincere 14 Dust II 16 Fnatic
Natus Vincere 16 Mirage 6 Fnatic
Natus Vincere 16 Train 14 Fnatic
Natus Vincere 6 Cobblestone 16 Fnatic

Finals Standings

edit
Final Standings
Place Prize Money Team Roster Coach
1st US$100,000 Fnatic dennis, flusha, KRiMZ, JW, olofmeister vuggo
2nd US$60,000 Natus Vincere Edward, flamie, GuardiaN, seized, Zeus starix
3rd – 4th US$25,000 ? cajunb, dev1ce, dupreeh, karrigan, Xyp9x
Team EnVyUs apEX, Happy, kennyS, kioShiMa, NBK- Next
5th – 6th US$12,500 Luminosity Gaming coldzera, FalleN, fer, fnx, TACO zews
Team Liquid adreN, ELiGE, FugLy, Hiko, m0E, nitr0 GBJame^s
7th – 8th US$7,500 Conquest daps, NAF, stanislaw, RUSH, ShahZaM
Counter Logic Gaming hazed, jdm64, reltuC, tarik, FNS

Between the end of the online season and the start of the finals, an unexpected number of changes took place.

The players of Team SoloMid opted out of their contracts, leaving the players without a team. Before the players started their own organization, which would be called Astralis, the team played under the name "?", which is pronounced "Question Mark."[2]

Team EnVyUs pick up a new coach, Jordan "Next" Savelli.

Jonathan "EliGE" Jablonowski had final exams for his high school on the first day of finals, so Team Liquid brought in former Counter-Strike: Source professional turned streamer Mohamad "m0E" Assad as a replacement in Liquid's match against EnVyUs.

Luminosity Gaming replaced Ricardo "boltz" Prass, Lucas "steel" Lopes, and Renato "nak" Nakano and brought up Lincoln "fnx" Lau, Epitácio "TACO" de Melo, and Wilton "zews" Prado from Games Academy, an organization FalleN is the owner of.[3][4]

References

edit
  1. ^ "ESL ESEA Pro League Season 2 Finals".
  2. ^ Mira, Luis (December 3, 2015). "TSM lose CS:GO team". HLTV.org. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  3. ^ "LG calls on fnx, TACO, zews". Luminosity.gg. November 24, 2015. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  4. ^ Mira, Luis (November 23, 2015). "Official: Luminosity add fnx, TACO". HLTV.org. Retrieved October 17, 2017.