ESL Pro League Season 22 preview: Which teams are in contention?

ESL Pro League Season 22 is the next stop in a jam-packed Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) calendar. From September 28th to October 12th, 2025, 24 of the world’s best teams be descending on ESL FACEIT Group’s Stockholm studios for a chance to win one of the longest-standing competitions in the history of Valve’s first-person shooter title. 

Teams competing earned their place through the Valve Regional Standings (VRS), the ESL Challenger League and regional open qualifiers, creating a field that is filled with championship contenders looking to cement their place within the VRS’s top 32 as focus begins to turn to the final Major of 2025. 

Before teams load into the server once again, Esports Insider takes a closer look at what ESL Pro League Season 22 has in store, along with which teams have a chance of lifting the trophy.

After Team Spirit topped September’s VRS, several teams have moved into a position where a strong ESL Pro League Season 22 campaign will see them take their place at the top of the global standings. 

Of the eight teams earning a direct invite to Stage 2, NAVI is the only one to win an event in September, a timely upward tick of form following early eliminations from BLAST Open London and the Esports World Cup. 

Elsewhere, the likes of Team Vitality and The MongolZ remain within the title picture, with the French organisation taking second place at BLAST Open London while the Mongolian side finished runner-up at FISSURE Playground 2.

Since BLAST Bounty Season 2, no team has managed to score back-to-back event victories. With FURIA the most recent Tier 1 event winner, the international roster looks to stake its claim as Counter-Strike’s best team with a Pro League win.

The second half of 2025 continues to be a mixed bag for a FaZe Clan side looking to rekindle some of the old magic heading into the StarLadder Budapest Major. Following the BLAST.tv Austin Major, Helvijs ‘broky’ Saukants returned to the starting lineup, while August saw Jonathan ‘EliGE’ Jablonowski move to the bench in favour of Polish rifler Jakub ‘jcobbb’ Pietruszewski.

During the team’s appearance at FISSURE Playground 2, FaZe Clan announced Russel ‘Twistzz’ Van Dulken would return to the organisation from Team Liquid, a move that continues to spark debate within the community. 

Following the move, FaZe Clan revealed Twistzz will compete as part of the organisation’s ESL Pro League Season 22 roster. With a roster change taking place so close to the start of an event, it could be a recipe for disaster for a team that is desperate to find some level of consistency before the Major.

After winning PGL Astana 2025 in April, the last five months have been a series of missed opportunities for Team Falcons. Since acquiring Ilya ‘m0NESY’ Osipov and Maxim ‘kyousuke’ Lukin, the Saudi Arabian organisation has come close to adding another trophy to its cabinet in the last five tournaments it has competed in. 

The team had chances to send FURIA home from FISSURE Playground 2, but squandered a five-versus-three on map point, ultimately turning the tide of the match in favour of the Brazilian organisation, which went on to win the event. 

Small but costly, mistakes have resulted in Team Falcons scoring three top-four finishes in a row. Despite this, the team has demonstrated its capability to compete as one of the world’s very best teams. Having all but guaranteed a place at the Major, ESL Pro League Season 22 acts as an excellent opportunity for the team to take the top step of the podium.

With the likes of FURIA, G2 Esports, and GamerLegion beginning their ESL Pro League campaigns in Stage 1, the chances of them advancing to the next stage are high based on recent form. 

Below are the other teams Esports Insider expect to make it to Stage 2: 

M80 has a chance to build on the momentum earned from its Playoff appearance at BLAST Open London earlier this year, while London winners G2 Esports aims to score another place in the final stage of a Tier 1 event.

Based on the predictions above, a theoretical outcome of Stage 2 has the potential to spring a few surprises among the 16 teams looking to secure a place in the Playoffs:

Stage 2 of ESL Pro League Season 22 has the potential to be one of the most competitive stages of any tournament held in 2025. On any given day, any one of these eight teams is capable of being the best in the world. Taking recent form into account, a clash between FURIA and Team Vitality is a tantalising prospect. 

The pairing of Danil ‘molodoy’ Golubenko and Mareks ‘YEKINDAR’ Gaļinskis, combined with the in-game leadership of Gabriel ‘FalleN’ Toledo, has transformed FURIA into a force to be reckoned with, armed with a deep map pool and clinical precision.

Although there have been cracks in the once impenetrable armour of Team Vitality, the French organisation remains in contention for any tournament it enters. ESL Pro League will be the first event since it signed Pablo ‘VdaK1NG’ Escobar as its data analyst, who aims to ensure players make better decisions during matches.

There’s a strong possibility that a match between Team Vitality and FURIA goes to five maps to decide a winner. The depth of FURIA’s map pool will prove integral if it is to defeat Team Vitality, and looking at the recent form, the Brazilian organisation has everything required to take victory.

Predicted ESL Pro League Season 22 winner: FURIA