Vitality and Falcons Decline ESL Pro League Season 23 Invites: Full Team List, Seeding Changes, and Key Storylines

Team Vitality and Team Falcons have officially declined their invitations to ESL Pro League Season 23, significantly reshaping the tournament’s invite list, stage seeding, and competitive outlook. ESL confirmed the changes alongside the full list of invited teams, with replacements determined strictly by the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) snapshot.

ESL Pro League Season 23 will feature online Swiss stages followed by LAN playoffs in Stockholm, continuing ESL’s updated format for the flagship league.

Why Vitality and Falcons Are Not Playing ESL Pro League S23

According to ESL and HLTV, Vitality and Falcons both declined their invites after being offered spots via the VRS ranking cutoff. No additional reasons were publicly disclosed, and ESL confirmed that the next eligible teams in the standings were invited instead.

Vitality’s absence is particularly notable, as the French organization are the reigning ESL Pro League champions, while Falcons remain one of the most high-profile rosters in CS2 following major international signings.

ESL Pro League Season 23 Format and Schedule

Stage 1: Online Swiss stage

Stage 2: Online Swiss stage

Playoffs: Top teams advance to LAN finals in Stockholm

Invite basis: Valve Regional Standings (VRS) snapshot (January 5)

Prize pool: $1,000,000

ESL Grand Slam: Event counts toward the ongoing Grand Slam season

The format continues ESL’s move away from extended LAN group stages, placing increased importance on online consistency and seeding.

ESL Pro League S23 Invited Teams (Updated)

Stage 2 – Direct Invites

FURIA

MOUZ

FaZe

The MongolZ

Natus Vincere

Team Spirit

Aurora

B8

Aurora and B8 were moved directly into Stage 2 as a result of Vitality and Falcons declining their invites.

Stage 1 – Invited Teams

G2

3DMAX

paiN

Astralis

Liquid

Passion.UA

Legacy

PARIVISION

M80

Ninjas in Pyjamas

HEROIC

FUT Esports

NRG

Gaimin Gladiators

SemperFi

Monte

Ninjas in Pyjamas and Passion.UA entered the tournament as direct replacements for Vitality and Falcons based on VRS eligibility.

FUT Esports Replaces Lynn Vision After ESL Ruling

FUT Esports were invited following Lynn Vision’s one-event ban, which stemmed from a late withdrawal from ESL Pro League Season 22. ESL ruled that the circumstances provided by Lynn Vision did not qualify as an exception under tournament regulations, triggering the automatic ban and opening the slot.

This ruling follows ESL’s stricter enforcement of participation rules under the VRS-aligned ecosystem.

Key Storylines and Competitive Impact (Ranked)

1. A Wide-Open Title Race

With Vitality and Falcons absent, ESL Pro League S23 loses two of its most star-studded contenders. Teams such as Spirit, NAVI, FaZe, MOUZ, and FURIA now headline the tournament, creating a more open path to the playoffs and title contention.

2. NiP and Passion.UA Get a Rare Tier-1 Opportunity

For Ninjas in Pyjamas and Passion.UA, this invite represents a major chance to gain Tier-1 experience, VRS points, and international exposure — opportunities that can reshape a season if converted into wins.

3. VRS Continues to Shape Scheduling Decisions

Falcons rifler NiKo has previously criticized the Valve Regional Standings system, stating that it feels “terribly approached so far” and that teams often end up “playing this season to get invites into the next season.”
ESL Pro League S23 once again demonstrates how VRS snapshot dates directly influence participation and team priorities.

4. Online Stages, LAN Pressure

While the playoffs return to a live arena in Stockholm, the early online stages remain decisive. Preparation, anti-stratting, and consistency will be critical — especially for teams starting in Stage 1 with no margin for error.

What This Means for ESL Pro League Season 23

ESL Pro League S23 enters with:

No defending champion

Adjusted seeding favoring Aurora and B8

Increased volatility in Stage 1

Continued debate around VRS timing and incentives

Despite the notable absences, the event remains one of the most important CS2 tournaments of the season, both competitively and for ranking progression.