Xaxas
04.03.2026
Two days can reshape an entire ESL Pro League campaign. Round 2 and Round 3 of ESL Pro League Season 23 delivered clean 2-0 statements, painful 0-2 collapses, and a growing elimination pool packed with organizations that were expected to cruise through Stage 1.
If you are building Pick'ems rankings with a +1 correct and -1 incorrect system, this is where discipline matters. Choose battles wisely. Early Swiss volatility punishes blind loyalty to big names.
Let's break down who surged toward Stage 2 and who is now fighting for survival.
Round 2 split the field into clear lanes.
Astralis dismantled HEROIC 2-0 to move into the high bracket, while PARIVISION handled paiN with authority. FUT edged Passion UA 2-1 in a series defined by Azbayar Senzu Munkhbold's explosive 1.44 rating despite the loss. Legacy shocked G2 2-0, planting the first real upset flag of the week.
In the low matches, Monte swept NRG, 3DMAX dispatched SemperFi, M80 outlasted Ninjas in Pyjamas, and Gaimin Gladiators stunned Liquid 2-1.
That loss dropped Liquid into the 0-2 pool alongside NIP, NRG, and SemperFi. For Pick'ems players, this is the first inflection point. Do you double down on brand value, or separate from the pack and ride form?
If you projected safe advancement for Liquid or NIP, Round 2 forced a recalibration.
With matches running every day through ESL Pro League Season 23, there is always another Pick'ems decision on the horizon. Gocore publishes daily tips to help you track the tournament and make informed predictions as the bracket evolves.
Ninjas in Pyjamas looked disjointed in clutch situations and anti-ecos against M80. Marco Snappi Pfeiffer admitted the team looks like two different rosters in practice versus officials. Their CT sides lacked stability, and their T sides often stalled in late round calls.
In a format where map vetoes and mid round structure decide everything, that gap becomes lethal.
For Pick'ems, NIP instantly became a volatility team. High risk, low margin.
Round 3 separated contenders from survivors.
FUT swept Astralis 2-0 to become the first team into Stage 2. Overpass was a tactical clinic with a 9-3 CT half before closing 13-3. On Mirage, Astralis briefly stabilized, but Aulon Krabeni Fazlija closed the door with high impact calling and a 1.69 series rating.
Three clean wins over M80, Passion UA, and Astralis signal a team comfortable in both structured defaults and high pressure retakes.
If you backed FUT early in Pick'ems, you just banked safe points.
Legacy defeated PARIVISION 2-0 to lock their own 3-0 ticket. Both Inferno and Dust2 followed a similar pattern. PARIVISION built early leads before collapsing under late half pressure and aggressive mid round calls from Andrei arT Piovezan.
Bruno latto Rebelatto topped the server on Inferno, while arT's Banana control disrupted PARIVISION's T side rhythm.
Legacy's adaptation across map vetoes has been sharp. They punished small economy mistakes and converted mid round advantages efficiently.
This is exactly the type of Swiss performer that rewards long term Pick'ems consistency.
Liquid avoided elimination with a tense 2-1 over SemperFi. Dust2 looked comfortable, Mirage exposed structural weaknesses, and Inferno required Jonathan EliGE Jablonowski to deliver key opening duels.
Their T sides remain inconsistent outside of Dust2. Against stronger mid bracket teams, that will not hold.
Pick'ems takeaway: Liquid are alive, but not stable. They are no longer a safe +1.
NIP survived NRG in a chaotic 2-1 series capped by a double overtime Anubis decider. Kacper xKacpersky Gabara posted a 1.48 rating and carried high impact multi frags in late round recoveries.
Michael Grim Wince nearly flipped the series on Ancient with a 2.15 rating performance, but NIP closed in extra rounds.
The win keeps their Major hopes faintly intact, but the structural cracks remain.
From a Pick'ems angle, NIP are now a pure risk selection. They can spike, but they cannot be trusted.
Monte defeated HEROIC to climb back into contention. 3DMAX handled Gaimin Gladiators. paiN recovered against Passion UA. G2 edged M80 2-1 to steady their campaign after the Legacy loss.
This cluster is dangerous for prediction players. Skill gaps are thin. Map vetoes and pistol conversion rates will decide advancement.
If you want to separate from the pack in future rounds, this is where calculated risks live.
Stage 1 Swiss formats reward form tracking over brand loyalty.
FUT and Legacy showed consistent CT side setups, strong retake coordination, and controlled map vetoes. They earned their 3-0 exits.
Liquid and NIP showed mechanical flashes but struggled in anti-eco conversions and mid round clarity.
Astralis, PARIVISION, Monte, 3DMAX, G2, and paiN now sit in volatile lanes where match volume shrinks and every series carries elimination weight.
If you are building monthly rankings, prioritize teams with structural identity over highlight potential. The +1 correct and -1 incorrect scoring punishes emotional picks.
Choose battles wisely.
As Round 4 approaches, the 2-1 pool becomes the most important prediction battleground. This is where sharp reads compound advantage.
Xaxas
04.03.2026
Article TAGS
News Feed
HLTV's consistency-based rankings miss the full story of 2025. Gocore's medal-first approach reshuffles the Top 10 CS2 teams, prioritizing championship moments and peak performances that defined the year's competitive narrative.
Eight teams collide in Barcelona as Stake Ranked Episode 1 heats up the road to IEM Cologne, with every map win carrying massive VRS implications. Here is your complete CS2 predictions guide for the Gocore Pick'Ems leaderboard.
The PGL Bucharest 2026 Playoffs are here, and we have predictions for every match from quarter-finals to the grand final to sharpen your Pick'ems strategy.
StarLadder Budapest Major Stage 2 delivered stunning upsets as favorites collapsed and underdogs rose, including NIP's historic 2-0 to elimination meltdown and PARIVISION's miracle rookie run to Stage 3.
ESL Pro League Season 23 opens with eight Swiss System clashes on March 1st, featuring a mix of dominant favourites and two knife-edge matchups that could define early bracket positions. Here are the CS2 predictions you need for opening day.
ESL Pro League Season 23 Stage 2 opens with G2, MOUZ, Spirit, and MongolZ storming to 2-0, while FaZe's back-to-back defeats and a stunning paiN upset leave the European giants staring down elimination pressure.
Team Vitality secured back-to-back Major championships at StarLadder Budapest, defeating FaZe 3-1 in a best-of-five final that showcased ZywOo's historic third Major MVP. Meanwhile, our Pick'ems predictions collapsed spectacularly as underdogs rewrote the bracket.
Eight teams descend on Stockholm for the ESL Pro League Season 23 LAN finals, with MOUZ and Spirit entering as the undefeated favorites. Here is your complete Pick'ems guide to navigate the single elimination bracket from quarterfinals to grand final.
IEM Rio's bracket stage delivered exactly what the opening day hinted at. The favorites held firm where it mattered most, but the deeper rounds exposed cracks, momentum swings, and the kind of volatility that defines elite Counter-Strike.
Spirit and Vitality clash in a battle of confidence versus discipline, while FaZe and NAVI deliver the ultimate survivors' derby - four teams, two finals spots, and Pick'ems predictions hanging by a thread in Budapest's chaotic semifinals.