HEROIC eliminate Passion UA from ESL Pro League Season 23 Stage 1

HEROIC kept their ESL Pro League campaign alive by defeating Passion UA in a decisive Swiss-stage elimination match, knocking the Ukrainian organization out of ESL Pro League Season 23 Stage 1 with a 1-3 record.

The best-of-three series was played in the fourth round of the Swiss stage, where both teams entered the match with a 1-2 record and faced elimination. HEROIC delivered a controlled performance across the opening map and maintained their advantage throughout the series, securing a straightforward victory to remain in contention for Stage 2.

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HEROIC dominate Passion UA’s map pick

The series began on Overpass, selected by Passion UA, but the map quickly turned into a one-sided affair. HEROIC’s defense proved difficult to break as they built momentum early and eventually closed the map 13-5.

Stand-in AWPer Simon Boije delivered a standout performance, posting a 1.47 rating while repeatedly finding impact picks with the AWP. His performance helped HEROIC control the pace of the map and prevent Passion UA from establishing any consistent offensive presence.

On the other side, Passion UA struggled to produce individual performances. Key players including Johnny Theodosiou, Azbayar Munkhbold, and Santino Rigal all ended the map with single-digit kill counts, highlighting the difficulties the team faced against HEROIC’s defensive setups.

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Passion UA’s EPL campaign comes to an end

The loss marks the end of Passion UA’s run in ESL Pro League Season 23. The team finished the first stage with a 1-3 record, which results in elimination under the Swiss format used in the opening phase of the tournament.

Earlier in the tournament, Passion UA had started their campaign strongly with a victory over Team Liquid, but subsequent defeats—including a 1-2 loss to paiN Gaming—left them in a precarious position heading into the elimination round.

The team’s lineup currently features JT, try, Senzu, Kvem, and nicx, with Senzu having only recently joined the active roster shortly before the event.

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HEROIC stay alive in Stage 1

For HEROIC, the victory keeps their ESL Pro League hopes alive as they move forward in the Swiss stage with a 2-2 record and another elimination match still ahead.

The Norwegian-based organization fielded a lineup of xfl0ud, nilo, sjuush, Chr1zN, and yxngstxr, and their disciplined play against Passion UA demonstrated their ability to stabilize after earlier setbacks in the event.

With the win, HEROIC remain in the race for one of the Stage 2 qualification spots, while Passion UA exit the tournament earlier than hoped after failing to recover from multiple losses in the opening stage.