HOTU vs ENCE: Who Advances to the Next Stage of ESL Pro League Season 22?

HOTU vs ENCE: Who Advances to the Next Stage of ESL Pro League Season 22?

On September 30, 2025, HOTU will face ENCE in the third round of Stage 1 of ESL Pro League Season 22 in CS2. The match is a best‐of‐3 (Bo3), and the winner will advance to the next group phase with a 3:0 record. 

Betting Odds & Expectations

Bookmakers currently favor ENCE, pricing their win at around 1.78, while HOTU’s odds sit near 1.95. Other betting analytics also place ENCE as slight favorites: eGamersWorld notes odds of 1.775 for ENCE vs 1.94 for HOTU.
In past match analytics, HOTU has shown moderate strength: over 33 matches and 79 maps, they posted a 2-0 win rate of ~42.4%. 

Road to This Match: How HOTU and ENCE Got Here

HOTU’s performance so far
HOTU began their campaign with a strong upset over FURIA: they won 2-0 (13-8 on Overpass, 13-9 on Dust2).  In an interview, HOTU’s newcomer n0rb3r7 said:

“I joined HOTU because they had a slot at ESL Pro League. For me, this is kind of a last chance to prove that I’m still good in the game.”
“Before the match we told each other: ‘Don’t think about FURIA. Just play, enjoy the LAN, don’t fear losing. No one expects miracles from us, we play match by match.’”

In Round 2, HOTU defeated B8 Esports 2-1: they lost Overpass 7-13, edged Mirage 13-10, and crushed Ancient 13-2. Their dominance on Ancient in the decider map reinforced their momentum heading into this high-stakes match.

ENCE’s path so far
ENCE overcame Astralis in Round 2, rallying from a 13-16 overtime loss on Ancient to win 13-2 on Nuke and 13-7 on Overpass. 
Their rigoN led the charge with 52 kills and +11 in differential. 

As a result, both HOTU and ENCE hold 2-0 records and now face off in the “High” bracket matches of Round 3. 

Other Round 3 matchups in the “High” bracket include Inner Circle vs Gentle Mates. 

Stakes & Outlook

A win here assures the victor of a 3-0 record and a spot in the next group stage of ESL Pro League. 

Eight teams will move on to Stage 2, where they’ll compete for a spot in the playoffs. 

The total prize pool of the tournament is $400,000, with the Stage 1 running from Sept 28 to Oct 2 in Stockholm. 

For HOTU, the stakes are especially personal: the team is seen as underdogs, and players like n0rb3r7 have framed this opportunity as a final chance to make a mark.