Results of Groups C and D at ESL Pro League S20: Top Teams’ Downfall—Who Took Their Playoff Spots?
The extended group stage of ESL Pro League S20 has come to a close, and 8 more teams have joined the squads from Groups A and B. Groups C and D delivered no fewer surprises, and what seemed to be the most fair tournament—with double the number of second chances—stunned us with its results. Let’s dive into what happened last week, who disappointed the most, and who pleasantly surprised us.
Group C: Such an outcome was truly impossible to predict.
- Advanced to the Quarterfinals: M80
- Advanced to the Second Round: Imperial
- Advanced to the First Round: BIG, Complexity
Teams from the American continent unexpectedly dominated the group. As we know, most top organizations have moved their bootcamps to Europe to have the opportunity to practice with the best teams in the world. Apparently, this approach has paid off and started to show clear benefits. Brazilian team Imperial and the American organization M80, featuring two German players, both secured playoff spots. Neither of these teams were expected to advance this far, and M80 even climbed into the top 8 of a 32-team tournament.
M80’s path to such a result was relatively smooth, and it could be said they were lucky with the bracket. However, on this tournament, the strength of team names has completely faded, and it’s hard to talk about luck with absolute certainty. After a convincing victory in the North American derby against Complexity, M80 played an incredible match against Fnatic. Despite the 2-0 scoreline, both maps went into overtime. On Anubis, they played the longest map in CS2 history, with a total of 71 rounds. This victory might have given the team a massive emotional boost, helping them push through the rest of the stage. It will be exciting to see how they perform in the playoffs.
Brazil’s Imperial defeated BIG in the first round and then sensationally overcame MOUZ in two maps, securing their spot in the second playoff round. In the seeding match against M80, they had chances to win their map, but it seems reaching the quarterfinals would have been too good of a result for them.
With the return of Dust 2, BIG has once again become a notable force on the Tier-1 scene, as they are traditionally considered one of the strongest teams on this map. Given that tabseN and syrsoN are still on the roster, their success is understandable. It was Dust 2 that granted the German team a playoff spot, with a dominant 13-1 win over Complexity. Overall, the team’s only loss came against Imperial, and they had chances to beat them. Therefore, BIG is once again a dangerous team, and their opponents cannot afford to underestimate them.
The final spot went to Complexity, who had a rollercoaster tournament. ELiGE and his squad went through every stage of the bracket, beating both MOUZ and Astralis twice, sending them home. Ironically, these matches between such grand teams happened in the lower bracket, when they were on the verge of elimination, making the stress level incredibly high. This experience might help Complexity in the playoffs, where there will be no second chances, and they’ve already grown accustomed to playing under pressure in this tournament.
We usually don’t dwell on the eliminated teams, but we cannot overlook the shocking failures of Tier-1 teams. The Australians from Rooster won the first map against MOUZ and nearly took the series, losing the second map in overtime. They weren’t as lucky afterward, but looking at the results, it’s hard to gauge their true strength, as both MOUZ and Astralis, who eliminated them, also failed to make the top 4 in the group. The two-time EPL champions failed to show their level, and it seems young players need a proper break and a full reset. As for Astralis and Fnatic, the situations are similar—both teams rely heavily on one star player (dev1ce and blameF), while the rest struggle to reach top form.
Group D: Predictable Results with a Clear Hierarchy of Power.
- Advanced to the Quarterfinals: Vitality
- Advanced to the Second Round: Team Liquid
- Advanced to the First Round: Virtus.pro, FURIA
In this group, the IEM Cologne 2024 champions looked like the undisputed leaders, and they proved it. The team has now gone 11 series without losing on LAN, and they breezed through the group stage. They likely didn’t even need to use any new strategies, as their individual skill was more than enough to win. apEX’s team is in excellent form across the board, with every player performing at a high level.
Team Liquid predictably took second place, but watching them again was still interesting. It’s hard to say if this is good or bad, but it seems that nothing has changed within the team. Liquid continues to rely on an aggressive AWP approach, gaining an advantage and playing out rounds. Opponents can adapt to this, and it will be difficult to implement their strategies against stronger teams. Luckily, YEKINDAR is stepping up, known for excelling in this playstyle, and he seems to be returning to his prime. There’s not much to say about their matches against ENCE and VP, which were fairly straightforward, while Vitality was clearly a cut above.
Virtus.pro managed to make it to the playoffs despite recent poor results and internal confusion. Before the tournament, VP replaced their new coach XOMA with analyst Pashanoj. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to fully evaluate this decision during EPL, as VP made roster changes after registration closed. Therefore, there’s no coach behind the players during matches to provide external guidance. Their matches against Falcons and FURIA were tense, and the outcome could have easily been different, with VP missing the playoffs altogether. The close overtime games show that the team hasn’t given up, as it seemed in previous tournaments, and there’s some hope for a positive result.
FURIA remains a mystery, as they look extremely confident during broadcasts, with no sign of pressure. However, during matches, rounds slip away suddenly, and in an instant, Brazil’s best players lose to coldzera’s stack on Anubis 1:13. Yet, none of the players seem nervous, and they go on to win the next two maps. FalleN’s squad is highly dangerous and self-assured—the only issue is technical execution. Given the level of their players, they are bound to fix this eventually, making them a serious threat to any team.
The biggest disappointment in the group was ENCE, who now seem beyond recovery. They skipped the RMR, finished second to last at EPL—things are looking grim for gla1ve. On the other hand, tournament newcomers ATOX and Red Canids performed well, showcasing a solid performance. Mongolia has a worthy competitor in Annihilation, a former player of The Mongolz. The world was excited to see two-time best player of the world coldzera leading a young and skillful roster. coldzera’s team fought hard in every match and even sent Falcons home. It’s hard to comment on what’s happening with this squad, but the reactions from the head coach speak volumes. During the games, zonic experienced the full range of emotions, and at one point, all that was visible in his eyes was despair and helplessness.
Next, we await an exciting playoff stage starting on September 17. Based on the group stage results and the absence of a lower bracket, we’re in for plenty of upsets.