The organizers of the ESL Challenger League Season 48 in South America have announced the start of the playoff stage. Teams from different parts of the region will compete for a significant share of the $60,000 prize pool, as well as for tickets to ESL Pro League Season 21.

Tournament format

This season, the ESL Challenger League uses a double-elimination format, which allows teams to have a second chance even after losing the first match. All matches except the final will be played in the Bo3 (best of three) format. The final will be played in the Bo5 (best of five) format with one advantage map for the team that has made it through the top bracket.

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Upper bracket

The playoffs will begin with a match between MIBR and RED Canids. The winner of this match will face paiN Gaming in the next round of the upper bracket. The second match in the upper bracket is Imperial Esports vs. Fluxo. The winner of this match will play against BESTIA, who are waiting for their opponents.

Lower bracket

The losing teams in the first round will move to the lower bracket, where they will meet ODDIK, Team Solid, inSanity Esports, and Sharks Esports, who are already starting to fight for survival. Teams from the bottom of the bracket have no right to fail - one mistake can send them home.

Prize pool

The prize pool of the tournament is distributed as follows:

• First place: $20,000 + quota to the ESL Pro League S21
• Second place: $11,500 + quota to the ESL Pro League S21
• Third place: $7,500
• 4th place: $5,000

Teams that take places 5-10 will also receive cash prizes and quotas for the next season of the Challenger League.

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Expected matches and big names

Among the most anticipated confrontations are the matches involving MIBR and Imperial Esports, which are eager to prove their dominance in South America. It is also worth noting BESTIA, who have been showing great form this season and may surprise their rivals in the playoffs.

The final matches promise to be intense, as not only cash prizes but also a place in the most prestigious Counter-Strike league, the ESL Pro League, are at stake.