The ESL Pro League and the biggest names in CS:GO return on 16 August with the 14th season of explosive action. The ESL Pro League (EPL) is a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive professional esports league spanning four regions: Europe, Asia, Oceania and the Americas.
The competition welcomes 24 of the best CS:GO teams; five teams were seeded through the ESEA Premier Division, six received invites based on ESL World Ranking, and the remaining 13 are EPL Partner Teams. The teams are split into four groups, and Group stage matches will run from 16 August through 5 September.
Join us as we take a closer look at this global tournament and the teams first in line to compete for a share of $750,000 and a spot in the BLAST Premier: World Final 2021.
ESL PRO LEAGUE SEASON 14 — GROUPS A AND B
The 14th EPL season opens with group A spearheading the stage. The spotlight is on the first matchup of the day — EPL S13 winners Heroic are up against ESEA Cash Cup victors Bad News Bears at 13:30 CEST. The first stretch of the competition will conclude on 20 August, when the first group will pass the torch to the second. Group B starts its run the following day with seasoned veterans G2 Esports taking on newcomers from the Czech Republic Sinners Esports.
➤ Seeding for the groups is done based on ESL World Ranking, independent of partner status. All teams will play each other once within their group, and the order of matches on the fourth day of competition in each group is decided by the previous days’ results.
GROUP A
Astralis
Bad News Bears
ENCE
Heroic
Team Spirit
Team Vitality
GROUP B
Complexity
forZe
G2 Esports
OG
Sinners Esports
Virtus.pro
EPL S14 FORMAT
Based on feedback gathered from the community and in agreement with the players, the play-offs format is changed for the 14th season of the ESL Pro League — the Play-in stage has now been removed from the tournament.
As in previous seasons, three teams from each group will make the play-offs, with the winning teams proceeding directly to the quarter-finals. The second and third-placed teams in each group will advance to the round of 12.
Group Stage
- The 24 teams are split into four groups of six.
- Single round-robin format.
- All teams play each other once in Bo3 matches.
- Each group’s first-placed team advances to the quarter-finals.
- The second and third-placed teams advance to the round of 12.
Play-offs
- No Play-in stage.
- Single-elimination bracket.
- All matches are Bo3 except the Grand Final, which is Bo5.
EPL S14 SCHEDULE
Group A — 16-20 August
Group B — 21-26 August
Group C — 27-31 August
Group D — 1-5 September
Play-offs — TBD
Grand Final — 12 September
EPL SEASON 14 — CS:GO BETTING
To get started on CS:GO match betting, have a look at the LV BET Sportsbook, where you’ll find comprehensive ESL Pro League S14 betting markets with top CS:GO odds. Wager on Match Winner, Map Winner, Maps Handicap, Total Rounds or other CS:GO betting markets, and regroup with us in two weeks for a sneak peek of what’s to come in groups C and D.
➤ Groups A and B have some of the biggest names in CS:GO; rising talent and teams that have already made a name for themselves are all vying for that quarter-finals seed. If you’re interested in CS:GO betting and don’t want to miss out on hair-raising action, here are the matchups you should keep an eye on:
In the first match of the event, Heroic are at 4/25 (1.16) to bring the bad news to Bad News Bears, who are at 9/2 (5.50) to maul their opponents and get a taste of victory.
At 20:00 CEST on the first day, Astralis at 19/20 (1.95) are going up against Team Spirit, at 7/9 (1.77) to win Map 1 and at 7/8 (1.88) to take the match.
On 21 August, IEM Cologne 2021 finalists G2 Esports are at 3/10 (1.30) to extinguish rising stars Sinners Esports, who are at 5/2 (3.50) to shine bright on the first day of competition in group B.
Tune in on the 25th to watch heavy-hitters Virtus.pro, at 9/11 (1.82) to win, take on Complexity Gaming, who are at 51/50 (2.02) to stand their ground and at 7/8 (1.88) to win the first Pistol Round.
Make sure to come back to the LV BET Sportblog for more news, odds and betting previews! We’ll be covering this year’s biggest CS:GO tournaments, match previews and everything else you need to know about the most competitive esports on the scene.
*Odds subject to change. Odds correct at time of publishing.