ESL Pro League season 16, the upcoming edition of one of the most competitive CS:GO tournaments in the world, will have a live crowd following the playoff action in the event location in Malta at the Salini Resort.
ESL Pro League season 16 will be the first season of the competitive CS:GO tournament to feature a live audience since season 10, which was held in Odense, Denmark in December 2019. The league stopped welcoming fans as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in all of the following editions.
The news comes as a part of ESL extending its partnership with the Ministry for the Economy, EU Funds and Lands via the GamingMalta foundation. The deal between both parties has been extended for the next three years, beginning with ESL Pro League season 16, which will run from Aug. 31 to Oct. 2.
“There will be a live audience with open attendance during the Playoffs, at a venue created by Gaming Malta and ESL for ESL Pro League Season 16 at the Salini Resort,” ESL said in an official statement. “There will be no live audience during the group stages. If you wish to attend the Playoffs, keep on the lookout for more information. Tickets will be available [on] September 5.”
Twenty-four of the best CS:GO teams in the world, including FaZe Clan, Natus Vincere, Cloud9, and Team Liquid, will compete in ESL Pro League season 16 and play for a whopping prize pool of $823,000. The playoff dates have not been set yet, but the final stage of the tournament should take place between the end of September and the beginning of October.
You can check out the ESL Pro League season 16 groups and their schedule here.
