Round 2 of ESL Pro League Season 23 Online Stage is here, and the Swiss bracket is starting to shape up. Teams that won their openers have the chance to move to the very comfortable 2-0 spot, while the ones who lost can’t afford another slip-up. It’s still early in the tournament, but every match from here on starts to carry more weight.

Round 2 High Matches (1-0)

HEROIC vs Astralis

The last time these two teams met was in the same setting as this one: the ESL Pro League Season 22, and Astralis won that duel 2-1 (Nuke 13-2, Inferno 4-13, Mirage 13-10). Coming into this game, HEROIC’s numbers look hot on paper – 6 matches win streak – but most of those wins are against Tier-2 teams. In contrast, Astralis’ are all over the place with their wins/losses, but that’s everything in Tier-1.

Although Astralis had a reality check in the opener (lost the first map against the much lower-ranked Monte), they regrouped and bulldozed over Monte in the next two maps. HEROIC won 2-0 against NRG, but it was not as clean, and it exposed a lot more cracks when the game tightens.

Astralis are looking like the more stable system right now, which is why I’m giving them the nod.

Prediction: Astralis 2-1.

PARIVISION vs paiN

PARIVISION opened with a much expected 2-0 win over SemperFi, while paiN struggled against 3DMAX and won 2-1 in a decider overtime on Inferno. Since we haven’t got any useful head-to-head matches between these two teams to lean on, we’ll be looking at their recent results. Form-wise, PARIVISION are looking like the clear favorite in this matchup, because paiN have only 4 wins in their last 13 matches against tier-1 teams.

Looking at map picks, again, PARIVISION are looking like the clear favorite. The first-pick, and probably the only good map for paiN that they could potentially cause problems for PARIVISION – Nuke – is PARIVISION’s insta-ban (100% ban rate), which further solidifies my take on this matchup.

Prediction: PARIVISION 2-0.

Passion UA vs FUT

Passion UA opened with a statement 2-0 win over Liquid in their first game with Senzu and try in their core – and both of them looked a lot more comfortable than I thought they would. FUT started shaky in their opener against M80, but regrouped at the break and brought hell for M80 in the next two maps, stomping them 13-5 on both.

FUT already beat Passion UA at Draculan Season 3 back in November, but looking at how well Passion UA played today, it makes this matchup that harder to pick a team. But if Senzu and the squad show up with the same energy as in today’s game, FUT will have problems.

All that said, I’ll still give FUT the nod, simply because they’re together a lot longer than Passion UA. If they stay clear of Overpass and Anubis (6 map losing streak), FUT should be able to handle this.

Prediction: FUT 2-1.

G2 vs Legacy

G2 and Legacy played once before – at FISSURE Playground 2 – a series that G2 one 2-0. That result alone can’t be a massive sample, but it certainly shows that G2 were comfortably in control. Structurally, G2 operate at a higher baseline – cleaner mid-rounds, more consistent trading, and they’re far more used to this level of opposition.

With arT now being another piece, Legacy can now make games chaotic and momentum-driven for sure (knowing arT’s playstyle), but that volatility is also a double-edged sword in a best-of-three. If G2 stay focused and avoid unnecessary brawls, they should dictate the pace of this one from start to finish, dramaless.

Prediction: G2 2-0.

Round 2 Low Matches (0-1)

NRG vs Monte

NRG opened with a loss to HEROIC, and while they had some moments of control over the game, they struggled to consistently close rounds. On the other side, Monte fell to Astralis in Round 1 in a series where they started off competitive, but lacked the extra layer of composure when their opponent actually started to fight back.

There’s no previous head-to-head between NRG and Monte to lean on, so we dive into current form. NRG have clearly the more experienced core overall, and when the momentum shifts on their side, they’re capable of grinding out tight series. But consistency is their enemy – they can look good one half and completely fumble the next.

Monte’s ceiling isn’t enormous, but they stick to their structure and don’t tend to overcomplicate rounds. They can do damage, but if NRG keep it composed, they should edge this – if it gets scrappy, Monte can absolutely punish.

Prediction: NRG 2-1.

3DMAX vs SemperFi

3DMAX dropped in close series against paiN in Round 1, where they showed structure – but couldn’t convert mid-game momentum into map wins. SemperFi’s Round 1 loss came against PARIVISION, and although they made them sweat a bit, the gap in discipline was very noticeable.

This matchup is mostly about baseline level. 3DMAX have defined structure and clear roles, which gives them a slight edge in these early elimination matches, especially in this matchup. SemperFi are still relatively new at this level. They can take some rounds off individual momentum, but sustainingthat across a full best-of-three against higher-tier side is a different task.

Unless 3DMAX collapses individually, this should be pretty straightforward.

Prediction: 3DMAX 2-0.

NiP vs M80

NiP kicked-off Round 1 with a loss to Legacy, looking decent early, but lost the grip once the game turned messy. M80 fell to FUT in Round 1, and although they had some individual moments on the first map, they couldn’t put together a consistent half after that.

This one is the most volatile of the 0-1 pool. NiP rely heavily on structure, and when their system is working, they can be hard to break down. Their problem is that they’re not always starting series clean, and that opens the door. M80 are the opposite profile – when their individuals are hitting, they can overwhelm opponents quickly.

Over a best-of-three, I vote NiP’s structure.

Prediction: NiP 2-1.

Team Liquid vs Gaimin Gladiators

Liquid were “upset” by Passion UA in round 1, in a series where the fundamentals were there, but the execution in key rounds was missing. Gaimin Gladiators lost to G2, and while they showed some flashes of firepower, they struggled to handle the pressure across maps.

Although they dipped in form, Liquid enter this matchup with higher overall level, and far more experience in tier-one environments. On the other side, Gaimin Gladiators have the firepower to steal a map from Liquid, especially if they’re allowed to control the tempo early and gain momentum. But over a full series, consistency might be the separating factor.

If Liquid avoids sloppy starts and don’t get dragged into aim heavy chaos, they should bounce back after the initial loss.

Prediction: Liquid 2-0.