On April 12, ESL Pro League Season 11 came to its end. The season was held fully online due to coronavirus outbreak. The league was divided into two separate divisions: 6 teams played in the American division and 18 in European one.
In Europe teams formed three round robin groups. Group winners were through to the second stage, while teams from the second and third places played deciders for the rest three spots. On the second round robin stage teams were fighting for three play-off spots. A group winner was placed straight to the final, while second and third teams played in semifinal.
Despite the whole league passed online, all major favorites made it through to the second stage. All teams from top-4 played there: NAVI, Astralis, Fnatic and mousesports. They were accompanied by FaZe Clan and OG. It is worth mentioning that NAVI could be relegated from the tournament right after their third match of the first stage. They lost the first two matches 0:2 and were just one round from doing it again in the clash versus another CIS team ForZe. At that moment, NAVI managed to comeback and finished the first stage with three wins, which turned to be enough for the first place.
The funny thing is NAVI payed their debt to Lady Luck on the second stage. They took two wins in their first two games, beat Astralis for the third time in a row, but managed to secure only three wins overall, and that was not enough to get through to the play-off this time. In semifinal mousesports clinched their win over Astralis 2:1 and the grand final lasted all five maps. Fnatic, who won the second stage, came off with flying colors and secured their $110 000 prize.
In American division, the main fight for the win was between Liquid and Evil Geniuses. North American teams took the first two places on the group stage and in play-off also left Brazilian MIBR and Furia behind. Unlike European final, the decisive game in America turned to be a stomp.
Liquid had one map advantage in best of five match after their win in upper bracket 2:0 and even the second time EG didn’t manage to win a single map as team led by NAF secured their champions title and $90 000 prize money.
