ESL Challenger League (ECL) Season 48, hosted by ESL FACEIT Group, is bringing exciting Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) action to fans in Asia and beyond. For the first time, the top four CS2 teams from Asia will compete live in front of an audience on November 2-3, 2024, in China.

ESL Challenger League (ECL) Season 48, hosted by ESL FACEIT Group, is bringing exciting Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) action to fans in Asia and beyond. For the first time, the top four CS2 teams from Asia will compete live in front of an audience on November 2-3, 2024, in China.ECL is part of the ESL Pro Tour circuit, which connects various ESL tournaments into a single competitive path. Held twice a year, ECL gives 80 teams each season a chance to sharpen their skills by competing against other regional teams, all aiming to move up to ESL Pro League.

" The addition of offline finals reflects EFG’s continued commitment to fostering the Counter-Strike esports scene in Asia, a region that has historically seen limited access to offline opportunities. This initiative not only supports the growth of teams and players but also brings the excitement of live competition to the local community, said Marc Winther, Director Game Ecosystems - Counter-Strike, at ESL FACEIT Group. In partnership with VSPO, we’re looking forward to our third in-person event in China during the past twelve months”

With ECL Season 48 in Asia already underway, 16 CS2 teams are battling online for a share of the $40,000 prize pool and two spots in ESL Pro League Season 21. The last two days of the competition will now happen live in China, and the updated schedule is:

Regular Season (July 15 - October 9)

16 teams compete for ten spots in the Playoffs

Double Round-Robin format

All teams play each other twice

All matches are best-of-one

Playoffs (October 15 - November 3)

The top ten teams from the Regular Season enter the Playoffs, divided into upper and lower brackets

Double-Elimination format

All matches, except the Grand Final, are best-of-three

The first part of the Playoffs will be held online from October 15-18, 2024

The top four teams will compete live in China on November 2-3, 2024

The Grand Final will be best-of-five, with the Upper Bracket team getting a one-map advantage

These changes give Asian teams more chances to prove themselves and advance, creating a strong environment for new and experienced teams to grow.

More details on ESL Challenger League Season 48 in Asia will be shared soon.