ESL Pro League S24 (CS2): Favorites and Schedule

Big-time Counter-Strike is back in Katowice. ESL Pro League Season 24 starts on October 3 with 16 teams and a $1,000,000 prize pool, and the final weekend will be played at the legendary Spodek Arena. It's the first time Pro League has ever been held there. Here's how the tournament works and who the main title contenders are.

Format and schedule

The whole event is played on LAN in Poland and has two stages.

• Swiss stage, October 3–7. All 16 teams play until they reach three wins or three losses. Every match is best-of-3 (Bo3). This stage is played in a studio, without a crowd.
• Playoffs, October 9–11. The top eight teams move into a single-elimination bracket starting with the quarterfinals. Matches are Bo3, there's a third-place decider, and the grand final on October 11 is best-of-5 (Bo5). This part takes place at the Spodek in front of a full arena.

Teams

Twelve teams received direct invites based on Valve's regional standings (VRS), and four more qualified through the ESL Challenger League.

• Invited: Team Spirit, Team Falcons, Team Vitality, MOUZ, FURIA, NAVI, G2 Esports, Aurora Gaming, Legacy, 9z Team, BetBoom Team, PARIVISION.
• Via Challenger League: 1w Team (Europe), M80 (North America), ShindeN (South America), TYLOO (Asia-Pacific).

The main favorites

Team Spirit

The hottest team of the second half of 2026. Spirit won the Esports World Cup in Paris, beating FUT Esports 3–1 in the grand final, and then took BLAST Open in Porto. If their synergy holds, they'll be very hard to stop in Katowice.

Team Falcons

With captain Finn "karrigan" Andersen on board, Falcons finally won a Major, crushing FURIA 3–0 in the IEM Cologne Major final. It was the first Major title for NiKo and m0NESY. Their results dipped a little after Cologne, but they looked sharp again at their last event in Porto.

Team Vitality

Vitality are back with their main lineup and immediately won StarSeries Season 20. Pro League will test whether the team has truly recovered. The competition is tougher this time, with both Spirit and Falcons in the field.

MOUZ and FURIA

MOUZ opened the season by winning BLAST Bounty Summer 2026 but finished 5th–6th at StarSeries Season 20. FURIA reached the Major final in Cologne, though they haven't matched their late-2025 level. According to esports.gg, this is Gabriel "FalleN" Toledo's last competitive season.

Dark horses

• Aurora Gaming. The refreshed roster reached the StarSeries Season 20 final and beat Vitality in the upper bracket final, before losing to them in the grand final rematch.
• Legacy. Top 3 at the Esports World Cup 2026 and a recent win at FISSURE Playground #3. Consistency is their biggest problem.
• NAVI. They won IEM Atlanta before the Cologne Major but have struggled at their last three events. There's even a risk they miss the Singapore Major, so Pro League is their chance to turn things around.

What's at stake

Besides the $1 million prize pool, teams are fighting for Valve ranking points, which decide invites to the Majors. The event is also part of ESL Grand Slam Season VII, where Falcons and NAVI already have one win each.

Our take

Spirit are the main favorites, with fresh titles and the best form. Right behind them are Falcons and Vitality, and a final between any two of these three looks realistic. If you're looking for an upset, keep an eye on Aurora: they've already shown they can beat the top teams.

For a look back at the last big event, read our breakdown of the CS2 Major in Cologne favourites. And you can follow Pro League matches during the event on the Counter-Strike betting page on Coins.Game.

Only bet what you're ready to lose, and remember: in a Bo3, one bad pistol round can flip a whole map.