Sunday, March 16, 2025, Stockholm: ESL Pro League (EPL) Season 21 has come to a spectacular conclusion as Team Vitality, the reigning Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Katowice Champions, defeated MOUZ in a heated Grand Final battle. Following almost three weeks of intense competition among 24 of the world’s top Counter-Strike teams, Team Vitality showcased their dominance throughout the tournament, ultimately securing the lion’s share of the $1,000,000 total winnings and the EPL trophy.
This victory marks Vitality’s second consecutive ESL Pro Tour (EPT) win after the team triumphed over Team Spirit at IEM Katowice and brings them another valuable point in the fifth Grand Slam race.
EPL Season 21 saw a record-breaking Group Stage with a peak viewership of over 550,000*, and an overall peak viewership of over 571,000*.
Stage 1
The 21st season of the world’s biggest Counter-Strike league kicked off on March 1, as 16 qualified teams went head-to-head in a Swiss Tournament Format for a chance to advance to Stage 2 of the competition. GamerLegion and SAW set the tone early as they were the first two teams to showcase their resilience and advance to Stage 2 with flawless 3-0 victories. Close behind, Eternal Fire, 3DMAX, and MIBR followed with strong 3-1 performances. Meanwhile, FURIA, TYLOO, and paIN pushed through the intense lower bracket and claimed the last two spots at Stage 2 of EPL. While the Chinese powerhouse TYLOO had one of the most difficult runs of this stage, they managed to upset two of the strongest contenders from the group, Eternal Fire and 3DMAX, proving they won’t give up a chance for the trophy without a fight.
Stage 2
Stage 2 of the competition took place on March 7-11 and brought together the eight qualified teams from Stage 1 and eight directly invited squads, all vying for a coveted spot in the Playoffs. The competition saw intense matchups as every team pushed their limits, determined to have a chance at snatching the championship title. Team Vitality and Team Spirit dominated this stage with a 3-0 score and advanced to the Playoffs without dropping a single map. NAVI, The MongolZ, and MOUZ didn’t stay far behind, as they fought to earn 3–2 wins and claim their place in the last stage of the competition. Eternal Fire, G2 Esports, and Team Liquid battled through the lower bracket, securing the final spots and keeping their chances at the trophy alive.
Playoffs
The Playoff stage of EPL Season 21, held on March 13-16, kicked off with intense Quarterfinals. The first clashes saw Team Spirit against Eternal Fire and G2 face MOUZ in two nail-biting matches. All teams went neck-and-neck, but in the end, Team Spirit and MOUZ held their nerve and claimed their spots in the Semifinals. The remaining two Semifinal spots were secured by Team Vitality swooping in and eliminating Team Liquid in a 2:0 game, and The MongolZ that smoothly took away a chance from NAVI to extend their dynasty as the EPL Champions with a quick 2:0 win.
In the Semifinals, Team Spirit went up against MOUZ, and Team Mongolz, the first-ever Asian team to reach this stage of EPL, was pitted against Team Vitality. When tension was at its highest, both Team Vitality and MOUZ managed to continue their winning streak and secure their spots in the Grand Final.
Grand Final
The EPL Season 21 Grand Final saw a repetition of Season 19 as MOUZ once again clashed against Team Vitality. With Vitality hungry for revenge, and the German powerhouse MOUZ ready to take back the EPL Championship, the final promised an exciting display of power and skill.
From start to finish, Team Vitality controlled the whole game, and didn’t allow for their opponents to get an upper hand. MOUZ, despite their best efforts, had no other choice but to give in to their opponent’s unstoppable performance as Team Vitality stormed through the whole Grand Final and secured a swift 3:0 victory. This marks Vitality’s first EPL win in almost three years – the last time being at EPL Season 16 when they came out victorious against Team Liquid. Robin “ropz” Kool’s outstanding achievements throughout the competition added another notable DHL MVP title to his account.
“Now we can talk Grand Slam because we have five chances to get it. As soon as we can, we’ll be better […]. So for us now, if we can get it in Melbourne, we’ll be happy. We’re going to work hard because this team deserves everything we have right now. They’ve been working as much as they could, and we’re all together a great team, so I hope it’s gonna keep going like that,” said Dan “apEX” Madesclaire.
The ESL Pro Tour for Counter-Strike continues with IEM Melbourne on April 21-25, as the world’s 16 top squads battle it out for a coveted IEM trophy. For more information about the ESL FACEIT Group’s Counter-Strike esports ecosystem go to the official website or follow ESL Counter-Strike on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
*according to escharts.com
