32 teams to play on EPL 17 instead of 24

ESL Pro League organizers announced changes to the league's format for the 17th season.

Previously 24 teams played in the tournament, but now the number of teams has increased to 32. Extra teams will be selected through regional Conference tournaments and Challenger League.

Also, ESL Pro League Season 17 will have a new tournament format. The group stage will now take place in a double-elimination bracket instead of a round robin. In addition, each group will have an additional third "last chance" bracket.

Group winners will advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament, the second-place teams will start the playoffs in the second round and the clubs ranked 3rd-4th in their groups will start the playoffs in the first round. All playoff matches are best-of-3, while the grand final is best-of-5.

ESL Pro League Season 17 will begin on February 22, 2023 and run through March 26, 2022. The prize pool of the competition is $850,000.