Astralis Eliminate FaZe from ESL Pro League Season 23 in Dramatic Overtime Finish

Astralis delivered the final blow to FaZe at ESL Pro League Season 23, defeating the international lineup 2-1 and sending Finn “karrigan” Andersen’s team out of the tournament. The decisive map, Inferno, went to overtime before Astralis secured the series and kept their playoff hopes alive.

The result continues a difficult start to 2026 for FaZe, who entered the series with only three wins in their first eleven matches of the year. Meanwhile, Astralis strengthened their resurgence after successfully advancing from Stage 1 of the tournament.

Astralis vs FaZe Match Recap

The series featured dramatic momentum swings across all three maps.

Dust2 – FaZe Strike First

FaZe opened the series with a 13-7 victory on Dust2. After falling behind early, the team recovered thanks to strong mid-round calls from karrigan and impactful rifling from David “frozen” Čerňanský, who finished as FaZe’s best player of the series.

Ancient – Astralis Dominate

Astralis answered with a crushing 13-3 win on Ancient, taking complete control of the map with a dominant defensive half.

The Danish squad raced to a 9-0 lead, leaving FaZe with almost no opportunity to recover. Astralis’ aggressive map control and confident mid-round decision-making forced the decider.

Inferno – Overtime Thriller Decides the Series

Inferno turned into the most dramatic map of the series.

Astralis initially built a 9-3 lead, but FaZe fought their way back to force overtime. In the extra rounds, Astralis regained momentum, including a chaotic 1v2 clutch from Gytis “ryu” Glušauskas that secured match point.

Astralis eventually closed the map in overtime, sealing the 2-1 series victory and eliminating FaZe from ESL Pro League Season 23.

Top Performers of the Series

Astralis relied on strong individual performances across the lineup.

Astralis ratings (series):

Victor “Staehr” Staehr — 1.39 rating

Love “phzy” Smidebrant — 1.22 rating

FaZe ratings (series):

David “frozen” Čerňanský — 1.23 rating

Aside from frozen, the rest of the FaZe roster finished the series below a 1.00 rating, highlighting the team’s struggles to maintain consistency across the three maps.

Astralis’ Improving Form at ESL Pro League

The victory builds on Astralis’ solid performance in Stage 1 of EPL Season 23, where the team advanced with a 3-1 record.

Their Stage 1 victories included wins over:

Monte

HEROIC

3DMAX

The team’s only loss in the stage came against FUT.

Astralis’ recent results suggest increasing stability within the roster after months of inconsistency.

In a previous interview, in-game leader Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen explained the challenges the team had faced:

“It’s just hard to create stability in a team where people are going in and out of the door all the time.”

According to HooXi, consistent results are crucial because they prove that the team’s long-term work is starting to pay off.

FaZe’s Difficult 2026 Season Continues

For FaZe, the elimination adds to a worrying trend early in the year.

Before the Astralis series, the team had already suffered losses in the event against G2 and paiN, leaving them on the brink of elimination. A victory over Monte briefly kept their campaign alive, but the loss to Astralis ended their run.

The defeat also puts additional pressure on FaZe ahead of upcoming tournaments.

Cologne Major Qualification Race Impact

The ESL Pro League exit could have significant consequences for FaZe’s chances of qualifying for the IEM Cologne Major.

With the invite cutoff approaching in early April, every result in major international tournaments is crucial for teams attempting to secure ranking points.

FaZe will likely need strong performances in upcoming events, including BLAST Open Rotterdam, to maintain a realistic chance of qualifying.

Astralis’ Ongoing Rebuild

Astralis’ recent progress comes after a turbulent period for the organization.

Former Astralis star Nicolai “device” Reedtz previously spoke about the difficulties within the team environment during his final period with the organization, describing it as a challenging time.

Those comments highlight how significant stable results are for the current roster as the team attempts to rebuild its position among Counter-Strike’s elite.

What’s Next

Astralis remain alive in ESL Pro League Season 23 and continue their push toward the playoffs.

FaZe, meanwhile, leave the tournament with serious questions about their form and limited time to recover before the next major events in the CS2 competitive calendar.