The third Swiss round of ESL Pro League Season 23 – Stage 2 delivered two decisive results as Aurora defeated paiN 2–0, while FaZe eliminated Monte with a clean 2–0 victory. Aurora showcased dominant firepower and control throughout their series, while FaZe relied on experience and composure to survive a tense elimination match. Both results significantly reshaped the Swiss standings heading into the next round.
Path through the tournament
The results reshaped the standings in ESL Pro League Season 23 Stage 2. With the victory over paiN, Aurora improved to 2–1, putting the team just one win away from playoff qualification. Earlier in Stage 2 they had already beaten Legacy, and the win over paiN further strengthened their position in the Swiss bracket. For paiN, the defeat drops them to 1–2, sending the Brazilian roster into the elimination bracket where every match will now be a must-win.
Meanwhile, FaZe stayed alive after their 2–0 victory over Monte. Following earlier losses to G2 and paiN, the international lineup finally secured their first win and now move to the 1–2 bracket. For Monte, the defeat means elimination from the tournament. The team finishes Stage 2 with a 0–3 record after losses to NAVI, Legacy, and FaZe.
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Aurora 2–0 paiN
Aurora continued their strong run in Stage 2 with a convincing victory over paiN, controlling the pace of both maps and shutting down the Brazilian side’s attempts to build momentum.
Nuke — Aurora take control (13–9)
The series began on Nuke, where paiN hoped their map pick would give them an early advantage. Instead, Aurora’s defensive structure quickly dictated the flow of the game. Aurora repeatedly denied paiN’s outside control, forcing slow and predictable executions. XANTARES and woxic delivered crucial multi-frag rounds that prevented paiN from stabilizing their economy. Despite a few successful mid-round calls from paiN, Aurora consistently won the key duels and closed the map 13–9.
Overpass — total domination (13–7)
The second map Overpass turned even more one-sided. Aurora’s CT side completely dismantled paiN’s offensive structure. Aggressive connector control and confident rotations shut down most of paiN’s executes before they could even develop. The Turkish squad never allowed their opponents to find rhythm and comfortably closed the map 13–7, sealing the 2–0 sweep.
Match statistics
Player of the Match — Ismailcan “XANTARES” Dörtkardeş
Across two maps:
- 35–27 K-D
- +5.67% swing
- 88.5 ADR
- 78.6% KAST
- 1.46 rating
Aurora move to 2–1 in the Swiss stage, placing themselves just one victory away from playoff qualification.
FaZe 2–0 Monte
In the elimination match of the round, FaZe managed to keep their tournament hopes alive, defeating Monte in a tense two-map series.
Dust2 — narrow control (13–11)
The opening map Dust2 was highly competitive. Monte repeatedly threatened FaZe’s defensive setups through strong mid control and aggressive entries from Rainwaker. However, FaZe maintained composure in the late rounds. Frozen delivered several crucial openings while karrigan’s mid-round calling helped the team stabilize their economy. FaZe eventually closed the map 13–11, taking the early series lead.
Overpass — experience closes it out (13–11)
The second map Overpass followed a similar pattern. Monte managed to keep the scoreline close through individual plays, but FaZe consistently converted the key late-round situations. As the map progressed, FaZe’s structured T side began to wear Monte down. Precise site hits and strong trading allowed FaZe to secure another 13–11 victory and complete the 2–0 sweep.
Match statistics
Player of the Match — David “frozen” Čerňanský
Across two maps:
- 40–29 K-D
- +2.16% swing
- 85.5 ADR
- 77.1% KAST
- 1.26 rating
The victory keeps FaZe alive in the tournament, while Monte are eliminated from Stage 2.
VRS impact
- Aurora: +6 VRS points
- paiN: −5 VRS points
- FaZe: +18 VRS points
- Monte: −14 VRS points
Aurora strengthen their position in the rankings after moving closer to playoff qualification. FaZe gain valuable points despite still fighting in the elimination bracket, while Monte suffer a significant drop following their exit.
Community and team reactions
The results quickly triggered reactions from teams on social media.
Aurora celebrated the win and their improved record, posting:
LETS GOOOO, 2–1 IN THE GROUP!
paiN acknowledged the loss but remained focused on the next elimination match:
Tough game and we ended up 1–2 in the championship. Total focus on tomorrow’s win to keep the playoff dream alive.
Monte reacted to the narrow defeat with a brief post referencing the identical map scorelines:
11:13 x2
With the Swiss stage entering its decisive rounds, the upcoming matches will determine which teams advance to the playoffs and which will see their EPL run come to an end.
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What it means going forward
Aurora now sit at 2–1 in the Swiss standings, needing just one more victory to secure a place in the ESL Pro League playoffs. FaZe advance to the 1–2 bracket, where every upcoming match will be a must-win series to remain in the tournament. paiN also drop to 1–2, while Monte exit the competition at 0–3, ending their ESL Pro League Season 23 campaign.
