Get ready for one of the biggest events on the Counter-Strike 2 calendar — ESL Pro League Season 22 is locked in, and the team invites are officially out. ESL has revealed which squads will head straight into the action this fall, with top-tier names and hungry underdogs ready to battle from September 27 to October 12, 2025.
Whether you’re watching for the big names or tracking the upstarts, this season’s Pro League looks stacked from top to bottom.
Based on the July Valve Regional Standings (VRS), eight elite teams have earned direct invites to Stage 2, skipping the initial grind. Another 12 squads will enter through Stage 1, setting the tone before the full 24-team bracket takes shape.
But that’s not all. A massive 64 teams — spanning Europe, the Americas, and Asia — have received closed qualifier invites, fighting for just four coveted spots in the main event. This is where things get wild. Every year, we’ve seen big names fall in qualifiers and underdog stories emerge, and Season 22 is shaping up to be no different.
Among the notable entries: NAVI and Team Spirit are both rolling the dice with their academy rosters in the European qualifier. If either squad qualifies, the orgs will have to decide which roster to send to Malta for the main event. That’s a potential roster drama twist fans will be keeping a close eye on.
