Predictions for ESL Pro League S20 Playoffs: The New Champion is Already Known!
The three-week tournament has reached its final stretch, and after a lengthy group stage with lower brackets, we’re heading into the fast-paced playoffs where we’ll bid farewell to multiple teams each day. There will be no more second chances here, and the potential winner will not lose again in this tournament. Looking at the bracket, we can confidently say that Vitality will reach their second consecutive final and are the main contenders for the trophy. In the upper part of the bracket, each team has faced serious challenges, and their quarterfinal neighbors are M80. The team distribution has turned out to be quite intriguing, so let’s analyze the known matchups and make predictions for potential pairings in the next stages.
First Round of Playoffs: Advantage for Teams from Groups C and D
The main point around which much is built is that the teams from the last groups are in good form, having played official matches just one or two days ago. This is enough time to rest, but not enough to lose the tournament rhythm, something many players struggle with at the start of events.
Virtus.pro vs HEROIC
Almost all matchups turned out to be quite even, but these teams resemble each other more than any others. Both squads, after roster changes, are trying to find their game, integrate each participant’s ideas, and simply get in sync. Despite their issues, VP seems to be slightly ahead in this regard, and the individual skill and experience of their players are significantly higher. HEROIC’s sniper, degster, could deliver a strong performance against his compatriots, as he knows every VP player well. Whether he can pass on his accumulated knowledge to his teammates is unknown, but there are major doubts about the Danish organization’s chances of success. HEROIC has no trump cards against Jame’s team, not even in the map pool, and VP’s Achilles’ heel, Vertigo, has long been covered, earning them a playoff spot. Knowing the Bears’ instability, it’s unlikely to be an easy 2-0, but since they defeated Falcons and FURIA, HEROIC should also fall to them.
Our prediction: VP 2-1 HEROIC
BIG vs The Mongolz
If you ignore the tags, the Mongolians clearly look like the stronger team. Moreover, they have no issues getting into the tournament rhythm (we all remember their 2-0 victory over G2 at IEM Cologne 2024), and the one-week break shouldn’t affect their form. BIG defeated decent teams and looked good during the group stage, but they didn’t face squads that rely on strong shooting. Tactically, the Germans may appear more interesting, but in terms of firepower, they clearly lag behind their playoff round one opponents. Without a doubt, BIG will put up a fight and are unlikely to be swept without a chance, but our prediction is a close 2-0 in favor of The Mongolz.
Our prediction: BIG 0-2 The Mongolz
FaZe Clan vs Complexity
This might be the strongest playoff pairing, especially considering Complexity’s path to this match. In the group stage, they twice defeated MOUZ and Astralis, while FaZe overcame Sangal, NIP, and Fly Quest. Looking at this, one might ask: were they even playing in the same tournament? Knowing how FaZe struggles at the beginning, we are confident they will lose this series, and no lower bracket can save them this time. It’s hard to recall a confident opening match from karrigan’s squad in recent events. Even this ESL Pro League wasn’t an exception when they were sent to the lower bracket after losing to Sangal. With such a star-studded lineup, it’s hard to doubt FaZe, but if we set aside all past accolades and achievements, they haven’t looked great lately. Complexity has been on Malta for two weeks now, and one day was enough to devise a game plan and prepare for their opponents. We aren’t afraid to predict Complexity as the winners of this match, and even if we’re wrong, we believe this will be an exception rather than an incorrect prediction.
Our prediction: FaZe 1-2 Complexity
Team Spirit vs FURIA
This is the easiest match to predict, where, of course, donk and company seem like the undisputed favorites. But remembering their loss to another Brazilian team in the group stage and the maps they dropped to 3DMAX and The Mongolz, some doubts arise. Still, those doubts should be dismissed, and we should fully trust the Dragons to win. The head-to-head record is 6-0 in favor of Spirit, and the map pool is also on their side, plus FURIA’s gameplay hasn’t been impressive enough to believe in their triumph in this matchup. Most likely, it will be straightforward for the young Russian talents, and they will confidently advance to the next stage.
Our prediction: Spirit 2-0 FURIA.
Second Round of Playoffs: Second Place in the Group Does Not Indicate Strength
Since we don’t yet know the matchups for this stage of the tournament, let’s just discuss each team and their most likely opponents.
Eternal Fire delivered an impressive performance in the last tournament and group stage, allowing them to feel confident. The Mongolz, and even more so BIG, are not stronger than the Turks, so at the moment, their appearance in the quarterfinals seems more likely. Top 8 at EPL will be a good result for them, but considering them title contenders is rather difficult.
The Brazilians from MIBR reached this stage thanks to a win over Spirit, but then they lost to G2 without a chance. It’s hard to gauge their true form, but objectively speaking, neither VP nor HEROIC should scare this team. It’s quite possible they’ll make it to the quarterfinals, where a regional derby with M80 awaits, potentially landing them in the top 4. To be fair, this playoff bracket is the weakest, to the point that any of the 4 teams could make it to the semifinals. We’d prefer to make the fewest predictions here, so we’ll refrain.
Unlike the other pairings, Liquid was the least fortunate. In their match, they await the winner of FaZe/Complexity, and if successful, they’ll have to face G2. Imagining a more challenging bracket is hard, and even their most loyal fans wouldn’t place Liquid above either of these teams. On the bright side, we’re in for a lot of great CS, but the results of the potential showdowns are highly unpredictable. We lean towards the belief that the first-round winner, whoever it may be, will “smell blood” and defeat Liquid.
As for Imperial, they await their executioner in the form of Team Spirit and are likely dreaming of a Brazilian derby. It’s unlikely to happen, and Spirit will probably seize this opportunity to advance to the quarterfinals. A good result for Imperial at EPL, but it’s too early to expect more.
Quarterfinals: The Champion is Likely Already Here
As we mentioned at the beginning, there’s absolutely no doubt about Vitality reaching the grand final, and in our opinion, they are the main contenders for the championship. They won’t expend much energy on their way to the BO5, will be ready to play all five maps, and the team’s form couldn’t have declined over a three-day break.
M80 objectively finds itself in a place they didn’t expect to be at the start of the event, but the bracket continues to favor them, and they can improve their result by making it to the top 4. Of course, they have no chance of beating Vitality – ZywOo eats teams like this for breakfast instead of a crispy croissant.
G2 breezed through the group stage too easily, making it hard to gauge their preparedness. The Samurais remain Samurais and are contenders for victory at any tournament, but predicting their triumph will only be possible after the quarterfinals. If they handle any opponent without problems, we’ll be ready to list them among the favorites.
NAVI returns to the tournament after a break, and Blade had enough time to prepare his team for winning three matches. Most likely, we’ll see a repeat of the IEM Cologne 2024 final, and Natus Vincere will have a chance at revenge.
Before the playoffs begin, our predicted final rankings are as follows:
13-16th place: BIG, HEROIC, FaZe, FURIA
9-12th place: The Mongolz, MIBR, Liquid, Imperial
5-8th place: Eternal Fire, M80, Complexity, Spirit
3-4th place: VP, G2
2nd place: NAVI
1st place: Vitality