The highly anticipated ESL Pro League Season 23 Stage 1 is set to start on March 1, 2026, kicking off a full month of Counter-Strike 2 action, and we finally have the opening day matches. Replicating the format from other premier events, every team will find itself in the Swiss format with 16 teams vying for advancement.
The opening stage may not have many big names, but we are blessed with some interesting storylines and intense matches that will definitely serve as a hot starter for the event. Filling out Stage 2 will be teams that, on their day can be quite threatening, with some of them already proving themselves against the top sides earlier this year.
PARIVISION, for one, has picked up trophies to kick off the year, followed by deep runs in every event. Joining them will be the likes of G2, 3DMAX, and paiN, who will definitely be the teams to keep your eyes on. Astralis, NiP, FUT, and Heroic also find themselves in Stage 1, and while all of these teams can go through on their day, it will be interesting to see who stands the test of a brutal Swiss Bracket.
| Date | Time | Team 1 | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01/03/2026 | 16:00 | HEROIC | NRG |
| 01/03/2026 | 16:00 | PARIVISION | SemperFi |
| 01/03/2026 | 18:30 | G2 | Gaimin Gladiators |
| 01/03/2026 | 18:30 | Astralis | Monte |
| 01/03/2026 | 21:00 | Ninjas in Pyjamas | Legacy |
| 01/03/2026 | 21:00 | FUT | M80 |
Vitality, Falcons skipping this event has cleared the field for many teams that previously had difficulty competing against these sides. Teams like Spirit, MOUZ, and FURIA now pose as the strongest contenders for this event, and only time can tell if they can profit from the absence of Vitality and Falcons. Following the conclusion of PGL Cluj-Napoca, several questions were left unanswered for all the teams except Vitality. At Pro League, they have the opportunity to silence their critics.