ESL Pro League Season 23, just like any player's time on Liquid, you do not count.

Why?

Because Vitality aren’t there.

Yeah, we get it, we’re all a little tired of them winning every event they attend, but what that ultimately means is that every event they skip suddenly isn’t as important as it could be.

Seriously, if MOUZ, Spirit, or FURIA win this event - what changes? Is this trophy going to be the sudden catalyst that gives them the confidence to knock down Vitality the next time they see them? No, because they all know that Vitality are already lurking in the shadows, waiting to make them look like Liquid once again.

Okay, we’ve gone in on Liquid twice now. Maybe we’re beating the dead horse a bit. Do us a favour and read that again with any Astralis roster between 2020-2025 in their place.

In all fairness, it will be nice to see someone else lift a trophy, and if there is one team that could buck the trend off the back of winning one, it’s FURIA. They’ve been out of sorts for a while (while still getting impressive results), so a bit of gold might just be enough to snap them back into form.

As for Spirit and MOUZ - with the former of those feeling like the most likely victors - we know nothing will change. Sorry, lads.

There is plenty of intrigue to be had elsewhere, though. What version of NAVI will turn up? Will The MongolZ be able to replicate their form in Cluj? Will FaZe even win a game?

See, plenty to be excited for.

Then there’s the Stage 1 teams.

FUT have become one of our favourite teams to watch, and they could easily make playoffs here. Astralis, too, if they can stop throwing silly maps away to weaker teams, could also be within a shout. And perhaps even Monte, who continue to impress as a plucky underdog, could surprise and make it through.

paiN and Legacy have also impressed so far, with paiN finally racking up a few wins with their new lineup and Legacy looking revitalised under arT. We’re not convinced either team will win any more games, but look, it’s a start.

They’ll be joined by G2, 3DMAX, and HEROIC, who all advanced on the final day thanks to wins over NIP, Liquid, and PARIVISION, respectively.

Yes, we understand that’s at least the second time you’ve read that, but HEROIC beat PARIVISION.

AWPer-less HEROIC, beat PARIVISION.

Who knows what to expect from any of those teams in Stage 2, but one thing is for certain: it’s yxgnstxr’s world, and we’re all just living in it.