ESL Pro League Season 23 has already produced a familiar kind of chaos: unexpected breakthroughs, underwhelming exits, and a long list of questions for teams that failed to survive the online stages. Before the LAN playoffs even begin, the event has already exposed which projects are ahead of schedule, which lineups are stuck in transition, and which big names may be running out of excuses. Speaking about the tournament, Teodor “Tedd” Borisov believes the online stage revealed a clear separation between teams still building something and teams whose problems are already much deeper.
Legacy and Monte were the real Stage 1 surprises
For Tedd, the most convincing overperformers of Stage 1 were Legacy and Monte, but for slightly different reasons. Legacy arrived at the tournament with very little momentum and several unanswered questions surrounding the arrival of Andrei “arT” Piovezan as the team’s new in-game leader. His previous project in Fluxo had never truly evolved into a stable Tier-1 contender, which naturally raised doubts about whether he could elevate another roster.
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At EPL, however, Legacy suddenly looked far more organized and confident than expected. Their wins over Ninjas in Pyjamas, G2 Esports, and PARIVISION suggested that the roster already possesses a competitive floor many observers did not anticipate.
What really stood out to me was the experience he brought to such a young lineup
The comeback victory against PARIVISION highlighted that maturity. Twice playing from behind, Legacy still managed to recover and close out the series, with strong performances from latto, saadzin, and dumau. arT himself also looked comfortable in the server, frequently finding opening kills and pushing the pace of the game.
Monte, meanwhile, impressed for different reasons. Their project revolves around players who have previously flirted with Tier-1 relevance but never fully managed to establish themselves there. That dynamic often creates a roster playing with something to prove — and Monte appear to embody that idea.
It’s a team full of players who had chances in Tier 1 before and never fully proved themselves
The roster has shown that it can compete individually against strong opposition, with players like afro and Rainwaker delivering consistently strong performances. Their wins over PARIVISION, HEROIC, and NRG Esports confirmed that this team has enough firepower to challenge established names.
PARIVISION, Liquid, and Passion UA struggled for very different reasons
While several teams exited earlier than expected, Tedd believes grouping them together would be misleading.
For PARIVISION, the collapse may simply reflect the natural volatility of a young roster. After opening the stage with wins over SemperFi and paiN Gaming, the team suddenly lost momentum in later matches.
It’s simply a young team going through natural inconsistency. I wouldn’t overreact
Having spent months competing primarily on LAN, the transition back to online Counter-Strike may also have disrupted their rhythm more than expected. In that sense, their result looks disappointing, but not necessarily alarming.
The situation for Team Liquid appears far more concerning. Their performance at EPL reinforced the growing perception that the roster has deeper structural issues.
I think Liquid are just a very, very dead team at this point
Despite facing a manageable bracket, Liquid failed to convincingly defeat teams like GamerLegion, Gaming Gladiators, and M80. The biggest problem, according to Tedd, is that the lineup no longer looks cohesive or motivated.
Passion UA, meanwhile, appear to be suffering more from development issues than systemic failure. With players from multiple regions and backgrounds, the team still seems to be building communication and identity.
People underestimate how hard it is to build cohesion in such an international lineup
HEROIC still need to solve their AWPer situation
For HEROIC, the biggest unresolved issue remains the sniper role. Although the team has produced respectable results recently, including wins over 100 Thieves and FlyQuest, the AWP situation still feels temporary rather than solved. yxngstxr has handled the role with confidence, but the transition from secondary AWPer to primary sniper remains incomplete.
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He has done well individually, but he is still a secondary AWPer
Against weaker teams, raw mechanics and aggressive confidence can compensate for experience. At the highest level, however, those gaps tend to become more visible. Until HEROIC resolve the situation around Alkaren or sign a dedicated sniper, the roster may struggle to fully stabilize.
B8 remain between tiers — but still dangerous
For B8, EPL delivered both positives and limitations. The team started the tournament strongly, beating FURIA Esports and taking the first map off Team Spirit, but eventually lost six maps in a row.
B8 have always been a Tier 1.5 team — the kind of tricky upset team nobody wants to play
Despite the losing streak, the tournament still provided encouraging signs. One of the most interesting developments was the addition of young AWPer s1zzy, who showed flashes of potential despite extremely limited experience at the highest level.
However, integrating a 16-year-old sniper into Tier-1 Counter-Strike inevitably brings instability. If B8 want the lineup to succeed long-term, patience will be essential.
FaZe’s deeper crisis
The struggles of FaZe Clan have raised serious questions about the direction of the roster. Ironically, Tedd believes their run to the Budapest Major final may have delayed necessary roster changes.
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If they had bombed out earlier, they probably would have made changes
Instead, that result allowed the team to continue believing in the lineup’s long-term potential. At EPL, however, the deeper issues resurfaced. The team still relies heavily on individual plays rather than clear tactical structure. Players like frozen remain consistent performers, and Twistzz still provides value, but the overall cohesion of the roster appears fragile.
FURIA’s poor event raises uncomfortable questions
FURIA Esports were one of the most surprising teams to exit early. One of the biggest issues was the sudden drop in form from molodoy, who produced his weakest performance since joining the team.
Molodoy posted his worst online event and his worst tournament with FURIA overall
At the same time, FalleN struggled to maintain the rifle impact he initially brought after changing roles, while yuurih also had an unusually quiet event. Losing to teams such as 3DMAX, B8, and Astralis made the result even more concerning, suggesting that FURIA are currently searching for a clearer identity.
G2 are close — but still missing the final layer
Unlike several other eliminated teams, G2 Esports do not appear fundamentally broken. One popular criticism surrounding the team has targeted SunPayus, but Tedd believes that narrative is misplaced.
At EPL, SunPayus had a really good tournament
Instead, the bigger challenge may lie in the roles carried by malbsMd, who is responsible for creating early engagements and opening space for the team.
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If he doesn’t succeed in those roles, the team often ends up in a very difficult spot
G2 often look competitive but struggle to close crucial rounds and maps. According to Tedd, they are not far from becoming a serious contender — but they are still missing the final piece that turns close games into playoff runs.
