An action-packed week of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is on the horizon as the top six North American and European teams prepare for the fifth installment of the ESL Pro League Finals in Dallas, Texas.
The initial stage will consist of a round robin group stage format with the 12 teams split into two groups. Both groups contain three teams from each region, totaling six teams per group. Each team will compete against a team in their same group until they have played a total of five best-of-one matches. Only three teams will advance to the playoffs from the group stage and three teams will be eliminated. The groups are as follows:
Group A
- Cloud9 (C9)
- Fnatic (FNC)
- G2 Esports
- Immortals (IMT)
- SK Gaming (SK)
- Team EnVyUs
Group B
- Mousesports (mouz)
- Natus Vincere (NaVi)
- North
- NRG Esports
- OpTic Gaming
- Team Liquid (TL)
Eight Group A and Group B matches will be played on Tuesday. The remaining matches will be played on Wednesday to conclude the group stage. The schedule for the first two days of matches are listed below in Eastern Standard Time.
Tuesday, June 1, 2017
12:30 PM SK versus C9 (Broadcasted)
12:30 PM G2 versus ENVY
1:45 PM G2 versus C9 (Broadcasted)
1:45 PM FNC versus IMT
3:00 PM FNC versus ENVY
3:00 PM SK versus IMT (Broadcasted)
4:15 PM FNC versus SK (Broadcasted)
4:15 PM ENVY versus C9
6:00 PM mouz versus North
6:00 PM TL versus NaVi (Broadcasted)
7:15 PM NRG versus OpTic
7:15 PM mouz versus NaVi (Broadcasted)
8:30 PM TL versus OpTic (Broadcasted)
8:30 PM NRG versus North
9:45 PM North versus NaVi (Broadcasted)
9:45 PM NRG versus TL
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
12:30 PM FNC versus C9 (Broadcasted)
12:30 PM G2 versus IMT
1:45 PM G2 versus SK (Broadcasted)
1:45 PM ENVY versus IMT
3:00 PM IMT versus C9
3:00 PM SK versus ENVY
3:00 PM FNC versus G2
4:45 PM mouz versus OpTic (Broadcasted)
4:45 PM NRG versus NaVi
6:00 PM North versus OpTic (Broadcasted)
6:00 PM mouz versus TL
7:15 PM OpTic versus NaVi
7:15 PM TL versus North
7:15 PM NRG versus mouz
The first place team in each group will solidify their spot in the semifinals while the second and third place teams duke it out in the quarterfinals the next day. The group stage matches and quarterfinal matches will take place in ESL’s private studio.
Once the quarterfinals has concluded, the four teams that reach the semifinals will have a day to rest and prepare strategies against their opponents. All playoff matches are in a single-elimination, best-of-three format. Saturday and Sunday’s matches will be held in the Verizon Theatre in Dallas, Texas.
The schedule for the playoffs is also displayed below in EST.
Thursday, June 1, 2017
1:00 PM Quarterfinal #1
4:50 PM Quarterfinal #2Â
Saturday, June 3, 2017
1:00 PM Semifinal #1
4:50 PM Semifinal #2
Sunday, June 4, 2017
2:00 PM Grand Final
Following the conclusion of the tournament, the $750,000 prize pool will be divided amongst the 12 teams. The trophy-bearers will pocket almost a third of the total. Teams who reached the semifinals will be awarded third and fourth place while teams who reached the quarterfinals will be given fifth and sixth place. Seventh and eighth place are for the teams who placed fourth in the group, ninth and tenth place are for the teams who placed fifth in their group, and eleventh and twelfth place are for the teams who placed sixth in their group. The prize distribution is shown below.
1st $225,000
2nd $100,000
3rd/4th $60,000
5th/6th $45,000
7th/8th $40,000
9th/10th $35,000
11th/12th $32,500
Cloud9 look to defend their 2016 Pro League title when they won Season 4 in Sao Paulo, Brazil against SK Gaming. They’ll be stacked against the odds in Group A, which could prove to be anybody’s group.
