The first stage of ESL Pro League Season 21 has officially concluded, determining eight teams that will advance to compete alongside eight directly invited squads in Stage 2. The opening phase featured intense matches, disappointments, and unexpected breakthroughs, shaping a fascinating narrative for the upcoming main event.

Early eliminations

Australian squads Mindfreak and Housebets unsurprisingly finished at the bottom, unable to secure a single map victory. China's Lynn Vision barely performed better, achieving just a single victory over Housebets but failing against stronger competitors. 

HEROIC was the tournament's biggest disappointment, falling early despite high expectations. After a surprising opening loss to SAW, HEROIC defeated only Housebets and subsequently lost to 3DMAX and Nemiga, finishing with a disappointing 1-3 record. Alvaro "SunPayus" Garcia was really fine, but more impact was expected from Simon "yxngstxr" Boije and Yasin "xfl0ud" Koç.

Narrow margins

NRG also had a challenging path, showing promise in a tough fight against GamerLegion and a notable 2-0 victory over Nemiga, but eventually falling to Eternal Fire and FURIA. NRG's performance was highlighted by Alexander "br0" Bro's effective integration and Joshua "oSee" Ohm’s improved LAN play.

FlyQuest narrowly missed qualification, achieving victories against Lynn Vision and paiN but ultimately losing to TYLOO in their decisive match. Nemiga’s exit was expected, despite rebounding with victories over Mindfreak and HEROIC after initial losses against MIBR and NRG. They eventually fell short against paiN, confirming their status as a weaker competitor. M80 showed initial promise, securing two victories but suffered three consecutive losses, particularly a painful loss on Anubis against FURIA.

Mixed performances

FURIA qualified mainly by defeating lower-ranked teams such as Lynn Vision, NRG, and M80. However, their shaky performances, notably against M80 on Dust2, raised concerns about their consistency. PaiN also advanced through victories over lower-tier opponents like Housebets, Lynn Vision, and Nemiga, leaving doubts about their readiness to compete with stronger teams. They began the year strongly with a quarterfinal at BLAST Bounty but have since shown limited progress.

Surprising qualifiers

TYLOO was the biggest surprise of this stage, achieving impressive victories over strong European teams Eternal Fire and 3DMAX, and clinching qualification by defeating FlyQuest. This performance notably boosted their Valve rankings significantly before the upcoming Major qualifications. Yang "JamYoung" Yi was really impressive and dropped a rating of 6.7. MIBR also unexpectedly qualified with an impressive run, overcoming their regional rivals, including a critical victory against FURIA, and proving their strength despite recent roster changes. 

Eternal Fire qualified relatively comfortably thanks to their high seeding, securing wins over weaker opponents but suffering an unexpected defeat against TYLOO. This raised concerns about their performance, particularly on their signature map Anubis. 3DMAX also progressed, recovering from an initial loss to TYLOO by securing consecutive victories, including a challenging match against HEROIC.

Dominant performances

The dominant performances came from GamerLegion and SAW, both qualifying with flawless 3-0 records. GamerLegion demonstrated excellent team cohesion and individual strength, notably recovering from a tough initial match against NRG. 

SAW, recently transitioning to an international roster by signing two young Endpoint players, showed remarkable adaptability. Despite close matches and initial struggles, SAW's rapid improvement and strong attacking play under captain Christopher "MUTiRiS" Fernandes allowed them victories against tough opponents HEROIC, FURIA, and M80, marking an extraordinary achievement for the Portuguese organization.

Looking forward to stage 2

The main stage of ESL Pro League Season 21 kicks off on March 7th, running until March 16th, culminating in an intense Best-of-5 grand final. As competition heats up, fans and teams alike anticipate an action-packed tournament featuring some of the world’s best Counter-Strike talent, battling fiercely for the prestigious ESL Pro League title.