ESL Pro League Season 20: Groups A & B Recap – Playoff Teams and Top Performers

After an action-packed week of non-stop Counter-Strike 2 action at ESL Pro League Season 20, we now have the eight teams that will move forward to the playoffs. Held in Malta from September 3 to 22, this prestigious tournament, with its $750,000 prize pool, has already shown incredible moments and individual performances, and the excitement is only set to grow as we enter the next stage.

From dominant wins to unexpected comebacks, the group stages of ESL Pro League Season 20 have given us plenty of thrilling CS2 matches. The top four teams from Groups A and B have punched their tickets to the playoffs, including direct quarterfinal qualifications for two standout squads. With high-caliber play on display, we also saw individual players delivering some jaw-dropping performances across all metrics.

Playoff Teams: Advancing from Groups A & B

After fierce competition, the following eight teams have advanced from Groups A and B into the playoffs:

NAVI (Quarterfinals)
G2 (Quarterfinals)
Eternal Fire (Round of 12)
MIBR (Round of 12)
FaZe (Round of 16)
HEROIC (Round of 16)
Spirit (Round of 16)
The MongolZ (Round of 16)

The quarterfinal berths were secured by NAVI and G2, who dominated their groups without much trouble. Eternal Fire and MIBR also impressed, booking their spots in the Round of 16 after some solid showings. FaZe, HEROIC, The MongolZ, and Spirit all secured their playoff slots, though not without some close calls.

Top Individual Performers: Breaking Down the Stats

Best Player (Overall Rating)

Danil "donk" Kryshkovets – Rating: 7.8. Although Spirit faced challenges, donk consistently stood out as one of the tournament's most dominant players. His strong performance helped keep his team competitive, even in tough matchups like their loss to MIBR.
Zhang "z4kr" Sike – Rating: 7.3
Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov – Rating: 7.2

Best ADR (Average Damage per Round)

Danil "donk" Kryshkovets – 107.6 ADR. donk again topped the charts here, delivering massive impact through his consistent damage output.
David "frozen" Čerňanský – 96.3 ADR
Mihai "iM" Ivan – 94.4 ADR

Best Opening Kills

Nikola "NiKo" Kovač – 0.210 opening kills per round. NiKo led G2 in the opening kill department, securing vital early-round advantages that helped his team breeze through the group stage.
Danil "donk" Kryshkovets – 0.180
Felipe "insani" Yuji – 0.162

Headshot Machine

Håvard "rain" Nygaard – 68.5% headshots. rain was an absolute beast with his headshot accuracy, delivering some of the best numbers of his career and helping FaZe reach the playoffs.
Ayush "mzinho" Batbold – 66.9%
Breno "brnz4n" Poletto – 65.5%

Best Flash Assistants

Alistair "aliStair" Johnston – 0.059 flash assists per round. FlyQuest may have struggled, but aliStair still played an important role with his utility, leading the flash assist charts.
Engin "MAJ3R" Küpeli – 0.046
Helvijs "broky" Saukants – 0.045

Best AWPers

Zhang "z4kr" Sike – 0.453 AWP kills per round. Even though Lynn Vision exited early, z4kr’s AWPing performance was a highlight, proving his skill at this level.
Ihor "w0nderful" Zhdanov – 0.439
Antonio "Martinez" Martinez – 0.383

Best Clutchers

Guy "NertZ" Iluz – 2x 1v3, 1x 1v2, 5x 1v1. NertZ came up clutch multiple times for HEROIC, giving his team a fighting chance in some of the toughest situations.
Yasin "xfl0ud" Koç – 3x 1v2, 4x 1v1
Samet "jottAAA" Köklü – 4x 1v2, 2x 1v1

Best Multikillers

Danil "donk" Kryshkovets – 1 ace, 6 quad kills, 27 triple kills, 34 double kills. donk takes yet another top spot, proving to be one of the most impactful multikillers of the tournament so far.
Yasin "xfl0ud" Koç – 1 ace, 3 quad kills, 11 triple kills, 40 double kills
Azbayar "Senzu" Munkhbold – 1 ace, 1 quad kill, 14 triple kills, 29 double kills

As we move into the next phase of ESL Pro League Season 20, the competition is set to get even fiercer. NAVI, G2, and donk have already established themselves as some of the top contenders, but with surprise performances from teams like The MongolZ and individuals like z4kr and xfl0ud, it’s clear that anything can happen. The playoffs will be a true test of consistency and resilience, as these top teams and players battle it out for the coveted title and the lion’s share of the $750,000 prize pool.