The Counter-Strike: Global Offensive schedule for this year is overhyped! The events and tournaments of Tier B to S are outstanding, with little time between them. Currently in full swing is the SteelSeries Nova Cup France Fall 2023, and the CSGO community is anticipating the start of the forthcoming ESL Challenger at Dreamhack Melbourne 2023 and ESL Pro League Season 16 in Malta.
Generally, the ESL Pro League (now on its S16) currently has 24 teams (which are from all around the world), thanks to a thrilling new competition stage. The EPL’s new conference stage debuted during S15 and continued until S16. And teams participating in this ESL Challenger at Melbourne can further cement their standing in CS:GO rankings by using the event as the premier venue to demonstrate that they are world-class. Points earned from this Challenger-level competition will count toward the upcoming Intel Extreme Masters: Katowice EPT Championship.
ESL Tour Structure
There are three tiers or levels of competition in ESL Pro Tour: Championships, Masters, and Challenger.
Championships
The championships, hosted twice a year in sold-out arenas, are the highest level of CS:GO competition. Teams go through an all-out battle qualification process to earn the chance to compete on a global scale and determine the world champion.
Masters
Seasoned teams (Tier A and S teams) and Challenger tournament winners (mostly Tier C-B teams) compete in the Masters. And teams that perform well in Masters tournaments increase their chances of being invited to a Masters Championship competition held in prominent venues.
Challenger
Challenger gives prospective teams a chance to compete locally or internationally, gain ESL Pro Tour points, and pave the route for teams to enter a Masters tournament. Thus, Challenger Melbourne 2023 is one of those events that will help the organization(s) to compete in more significant events or tournaments.
Things You Need to Know More About ESL Challenger Melbourne 2023
As the eight (8) teams are all geared up for the ESL Challenger Melbourne 2023, here are some things that you need to know more about the event:
Tournament Format
Group Stage
- Two Groups in Double Elimination (GSL)
- Four (4) teams make up each group.
- Opening and Winners’ matches are best-of-one.
- Elimination & Decider games are best-of-three.
- Each group’s top two teams advance to the playoffs.
Playoffs
- The playoffs will be played through a single-elimination bracket
- All matches will be in a best-of-three format.
Prize Pool Distribution
ESL Challenger Melbourne 2023 has a $100,000 prize pool. The money will be distributed to the participating teams.
| Place | USD Distribution | Qualifies To | Participant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | 50,000 USD | EPL Conference S17 | TBA |
| 2nd Place | 20,000 USD | TBA | |
| 3rd – 4th Place | 10,000 USD | TBA | |
| 5th – 6th Place | 3,000 USD | TBA | |
| 7th – 8th Place | 2,000 USD | TBA |
Participating Teams
There are eight (8) teams participating in ESL Challenger Melbourne 2023, and only one will take the $50,000 cash prize and qualify for EPL Conference S17. Four (4) are from ESL World Ranking, one each from European, North American, Oceanic, and Asian Qualifier.
| No. | Team | Roster |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | OG | flameZ, nexa, NEOFRAG, F1KU, degster, ruggah |
| 2 | Imperial Esports | FalleN, fer, boltz, VINI, chelo, fnx |
| 3 | paiN Gaming | PKL, biguzera, hardzao, zevy, skullz, bruno |
| 4 | ORDER | Sico, INS, aliStair, Liazz, Hatz, Kingfisher |
| 5 | Entropiq | El1an, NickelBack, Krad, Forester, mir, hooch |
| 6 | Evil Genuises | PwnAlone, ben1337, djay, jonji, viz, Muenster |
| 7 | VERTEX ESC | pz, BRACE, malta, TBD, TBD |
| 8 | Wings Up Gaming | lan, gas, ChildKing, MarT1n, B1NGO, Rita |
Tournament Schedule
ESL Challenger Melbourne 2023 will be a three-day event from September 2-4, 2023, and fans, enthusiasts, and game panelists are hyped as there’s so much to look forward to in the event.
| Day | Event | Local Time AEST | Time CEST |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DreamHack Doors Open | 09:00 | 01:00 |
| Group Stage 1st MOTD | 10:30 | 02:30 | |
| Group Stage Last MOTD | 20:30 | 12:30 | |
| 2 | DreamHack Doors Open | 09:00 | 01:00 |
| Group Stage Last MOTD | 18:40 | 10:40 | |
| 3 | DreamHack Doors Open | 09:00 | 01:00 |
| First Semi-Final | 09:00 | 01:00 | |
| Grand Final | 16:00 | 08:00 | |
| Festival Close | 21:00 | 13:00 |
Sponsors
Intel
Over the past 20 years, ESL and Intel® have built esports from the bottom up, providing fans and players with world-class esports experiences on a worldwide scale. Before becoming a global collaboration in 2006, when Intel® became the official title sponsor of the Intel® Extreme Masters, the partnership began with ESL’s early tournaments in Germany (IEM).
Since live esports tournaments have been held in China, Southeast Asia, Australia, North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and the Middle East, and with the renewed collaboration currently in place, Intel and ESL will carry out an additional 82 IEM events throughout a total of 15 seasons.
Republic of Gamers (ROG)
The largest esports organization in the world, ESL, announced in February 2019 that Republic of Gamers (ROG), an ASUS subsidiary committed to developing the best gaming hardware and software, would serve as its Official PC and Monitor Partner for all ESL One-powered by Intel® events through 2019. Thus, ROG will be one of the reasons why the upcoming ESL Challenger Melbourne 2023 will be successful.
DHL
ESL One is the biggest esports organizer in the world. Tens of thousands of fans go to sold-out arenas for some of the biggest and most famous tournaments, drawing millions more via social media. It has quickly risen to the top of the list of all-time most watched events in the world, with a Livestream audience of more than 600 million viewers annually.
Since 2018, DHL has served as ESL’s Official Operations Partner and is in charge of all transportation logistics. The largest ESL tournaments, including future Dota 2 tournaments and the recently introduced ESL CS:GO Pro Tour, will be delivered by DHL in 2021 to a truly worldwide audience. Additionally, DHL has partnered with “ESL Mobile,” the upcoming esports phenomenon that enables players of all skill levels to participate in the world’s top games.
Monster Energy
A historic extension and expansion of ESL Gaming’s collaboration with Monster Energy through 2023 were announced last March 17th. As part of the new, multi-year partnership, more ESL Gaming goods will be covered, and Monster Energy will now officially support mobile gaming and esports. And not only players but also fans are looking forward to the mini-events that Monster Energy prepared for the ESL Challenger Melbourne 2023.
1xBet
1xBet, a cutting-edge betting company with a stellar reputation around the world, was established in 2007. With locations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, it is one of the most progressive businesses in the sector. Additionally, the business is excited to collaborate with ESL Gaming to improve the overall esports fan and player experience. As part of the planned innovations, both CS:GO, and Dota 2 broadcasts will feature unique bespoke parts throughout the year, including data-driven player effect cards, match predictions, and custom maps.
