ESL Pro League Season 22 kicked off in Copenhagen. The first day of the Swiss stage immediately brought loud surprises: favorites stumbled while underdogs made strong statements. Here’s our full recap of all eight opening-round matches.
ENCE defeat M80 (2:1)
ENCE, who replaced Virtus.pro in the bracket, opened the tournament with a victory over M80.
- Dust2 (13:10) — the Europeans confidently controlled the game.
- Mirage (9:13) — M80 leveled the series with a strong T-side.
- Ancient (13:8) — ENCE closed it out as podi (56-30, 1.43) shined with incredible stats.
ENCE proved they are ready to fight even with a new lineup, while M80 are still searching for consistency.
Gentle Mates shock Heroic (2:1)
Gentle Mates’ unexpected Pro League debut ended with a win over the prestigious Heroic.
- Nuke (13:6) — total domination from the newcomers.
- Mirage (7:13) — Heroic brought the series back to life.
- Ancient (16:12) — a dramatic finale where sausol (60-45, 1.41) and mopoz (55-44, 1.30) emerged as key heroes.
Heroic start the tournament with a loss, while Gentle Mates immediately proved their competitiveness.
B8 overpower Legacy (2:1)
Ukraine’s B8 took a confident win over Legacy, even though they dropped the opening map.
- Dust2 (4:13) — the Brazilians unexpectedly grabbed their pick.
- Ancient (13:6) — B8 quickly regained control.
- Train (13:2) — Legacy collapsed under pressure.
The standout was npl (53-32, 1.82), who dominated his opponents. A crucial start for the Ukrainian side.
HOTU crush FURIA (2:0)
The biggest shock of the day — Brazilian giants FURIA were dismantled by Russian mix HOTU without a chance.
- Overpass (8:13) — early signs of trouble for the favorites.
- Dust2 (9:13) — FURIA completely fell apart.
Despite KSCERATO’s efforts (36-25, 1.53), HOTU’s discipline proved decisive. mizu (34-29, 1.38) and n0rb3r7 (34-28, 1.30) drove the upset.
GamerLegion ease past NRG (2:0)
GL showed maturity against the American lineup.
- Train (13:11) — a close fight, but the Europeans held firm.
- Overpass (13:9) — GL closed out the series without much trouble.
ztr (41-28, 1.51) was the standout, while all five GL players delivered solid performances. NRG, meanwhile, looked overly reliant on br0 (35-33, 1.18).
Astralis edge out Fluxo (2:1)
The Danish giants opened their campaign with a hard-fought victory over Fluxo.
- Mirage (13:6) — Astralis sharp and composed.
- Inferno (9:13) — the Brazilians struck back.
- Nuke (13:2) — total Astralis domination in the decider.
HooXi (50-37, 1.47) surprisingly claimed MVP, while device played steadily (35-33, 1.04). For Fluxo, kye (39-39, 1.07) stood out.
G2 give no chances to Rooster (2:0)
The European superteam G2 started with a clean demolition.
- Overpass (13:9) — the Australians put up a fight.
- Inferno (13:3) — complete collapse for Rooster.
malbsMd (35-22, 1.39), SunPayus (26-15, 1.33) and huNter- (35-19, 1.32) crushed the opposition. Rooster’s players simply couldn’t match this stage.
Inner Circle defeat 3DMAX (2:1)
The final match of the day brought drama: French side 3DMAX fell to Inner Circle.
- Ancient (16:13) — 3DMAX won on grit.
- Nuke (9:13) — the Ukrainian-Kazakh squad responded.
- Train (4:13) — complete Inner Circle control.
Davy (53-36, 1.36) and n1fee (56-46, 1.24) led the winners. For 3DMAX, Graviti (51-53, 1.22) fought hard, but the team lacked cohesion.
Day 1 Summary
The opening day of ESL Pro League Season 22 was explosive. Gentle Mates and HOTU delivered stunning upsets, B8 and Inner Circle impressed fans in decisive series, while ENCE, Astralis, G2, and GamerLegion lived up to their favorites tag. The tournament has only just begun, but it’s already clear: the battle will be unpredictable.
