Not since early 2020 has an international event played host to two OCE-based line-ups, but this week’s ESL Pro League Season 15 Conference will see both Renegades and Order aim to qualify to EPL Season 15’s group stage.
- INS unstoppable as Renegades fend off Renewal
- Hesitation costs ORDER in 0-2 loss to Anonymo
- RNG face Extra Salt for spot in qualifying final; ORDER must beat RBG
There were mixed results for the Oceanic squads in attendance at the ESL Pro League Season 15 Conference overnight.
Renegades overcame a late-finishing Renewal 2-0 (16-8, 16-13) thanks in part to a monstrous Joshua “INS” Potter performance (55 kills, +23 K/Diff, 1.51 HLTV rating) across the series.
On a map RNG had never touched in an official, INS was resounding on the opening CT half, nabbing 20 kills and an ace as RNG sprinted out to a 10-5 lead.
Alistair “aliStair” Johnston (20-19, 84 ADR, 1.19 HLTV rating) also scored an ace as the Oceanic squad broke through Renewal’s CT defence and locked down Ancient 16-8.
RNG kept their momentum into Inferno, leading 5-1 on T side before Renewal adapted. The Mongolian squad stepped up, going 7-1 to finish the half with the lead.
But once more it was INS (26-18, 89 ADR, 1.36 HLTV rating) stepping up on CT, and together with a 15-kill half from aliStair and a 20-piece from Liam “malta” Schembri, RNG dispatched of a resilient Renewal 16-13.
Renegades will take on North America’s Extra Salt, who overcame a poor Ancient opener to defeat Sprout 2-1 in their opening match.
It was a different story for ORDER in their game against Anonymo.
The Aussies managed just seven T side rounds across their two-map series against the Polish team, with ORDER going down 0-2 (9-16, 8-16).
“[We’re] going to need to get hyped and out of our scared zone to get through this tournament,” said veteran Ricardo “Rickeh” Mulholland on Twitter following their loss.
“We need much more EU time to play like we deserve to be here [but] it’s only the beginning, no stress”.
It was a solid international debut for young gun Declan “Vexite” Portelli (33-34, 77 ADR, 1.09 HLTV rating) despite the result, but the squad have their backs to the wall in the lower bracket on day one, and must defeat RBG Esports to keep their EPL dream alive.
We’re covering everything EPL S15 Conference — schedule, streams, results and more.
ESL Pro League S15 Conference Streams
The ESL Pro League Season 15 Conference will be streamed live on Twitch across three channels — ESL CSGO, ESL CSGO B and ESL CSGO C.
ESL CSGO — Main Channel
ESL CSGO B — Secondary Channel
ESL CSGO C — Tertiary Channel
ESL Pro League S15 Conference Schedule
This event is a 16-team double elimination bracket, with the two upper bracket finalists and the loser bracket winner qualifying for ESL Pro League Season 15’s group stage.
All matches played will be best-of-three.
Matchday 2 — Wednesday. September 24
| Match | Teams | Time (AEDT) |
| Upper Bracket Quarter Final 1 | MAD Lions v LDLC | 11:30pm |
| Lower Bracket Round 1 | EC Brugge v Sharks | 11:30pm |
| Upper Bracket Quarter Final 2 | Renegades v Extra Salt | 2:45am |
| Lower Bracket Round 1 | Renewal v Sprout | 2:45am |
| Upper Bracket Quarter Final 3 | GODSENT v Endpoint | 6am |
| Upper Bracket Quarter Final 4 | Anonymo v Movistar Riders | 6am |
Matchday 3 — Thursday, September 25
| Match | Teams | Time (AEDT) |
| Lower Bracket Round 1 | ORDER v RBG | 11:30pm |
| Lower Bracket Round 1 | Wisla Krakow v Eternal Fire | 11:30pm |
| Lower Bracket Round 2 | TBD | 2:45am |
| Lower Bracket Round 2 | TBD | 2:45am |
| Lower Bracket Round 2 | TBD | 6am |
| Lower Bracket Round 2 | TBD | 6am |
ESL Pro League S15 Conference Results
Matchday 1 — Tuesday, September 23
| Match | Teams | Time (AEDT) |
| Upper Bracket | MAD Lions 2-0 EC Brugge | 11:30pm |
| Opening Round | Sharks 1-2 LDLC | 11:30pm |
| Extra Salt 2-1 Sprout | 2:45am | |
| Renegades 2-0 Renewal | 2:45am | |
| GODSENT 2-1 Wisla Krakow | 2:45am | |
| Eternal Fire 1-2 Endpoint | 6am | |
| ORDER 0-2 Anonymo | 6am | |
| Movistar Riders 2-1 RBG | 6am |
ESL Pro League S15 Conference — Event Preview (September 23)
ESL Pro League has returned to close out 2021’s CS:GO competition calendar, but starting with Season 15 and going forward, the format for EPL qualification has changed somewhat.
Gone are the tournament play-ins, with spots at ESL’s premier tournaments in Katowice and Cologne now earned through ESL Pro League.
Season 15 kicks off tonight with the ESL Conference, featuring sixteen teams qualifying through ten separate regions. Only the top three can progress to the ESL Pro League group stage — set for April 2022.
The ESL Pro League Conference will be the first event in two years that will feature not one but two OCE-based squads, with both Renegades and ORDER in Europe to battle it out for EPL qualification.
LookingForOrg await them in the ESL Pro League group stage following their victory at ESEA Premier Season 38.
Renegades remained in Europe following their PGL Stockholm Major campaign to boot camp ahead of the ESL Pro League Conference, with their opening match tonight marking two months overseas.
RNG are heavy favourites heading into their opening series against Mongolian squad Renewal, who come into the EPL Conference as the lowest ranked team in attendance.
It’s a different story for RNG’s compatriots in ORDER. A long time has passed since ORDER’s previous international venture; only Matthew “Valiance” Hartrick and Karlo “USTILO” Pivac remain from the roster that went down to INTZ at 2019’s ESEA Global Challenge.
Rifler Declan “Vexite” Portelli will make a long-awaited international debut at the EPL Conference, with ORDER taking on Anonymo Esports in a tough opening series.
ESL Pro League S15 Conference Rosters
The ESL Pro League Season 15 Conference sees sixteen teams from across the globe battle it out for just three spots at the EPL S15 group stage.
Spanish-based Movistar Riders enter the event as the highest ranked squad following their Masters Espana qualification and a solid run at the PGL Stockholm Major.
Renegades earned qualification through their victory at DreamHack Open OCE in September, while ORDER join thanks to their second place result at ESL ANZ Champs.
Normally, the ESL ANZ Champs victor would have qualified here, but LookingForOrg’s ESEA-P S38 victory already earned them a spot in the group stage for ESL Pro League Season 15.
| Team | Qualification | Players | ||||
| Extra Salt | DH Open June NA | JT | oSee | FaNg | MarKE | floppy |
| GODSENT | DH Open September NA | TACO | felps | latto | b4rtiN | dumau |
| RBG | ESEA-P S38 NA | Walco | HexT | wiz | chop | jitter |
| Sharks | DH Open September SA | jnt | pancc | Lucaozy | realziN | zevy |
| MAD Lions | DH Open November | TMB | Woro2k | sausol | jL | b0RUP |
| Anonymo | ESEA-P S38 EU | Kylar | Snax | innocent | snatchie | rallen |
| Renewal | DH Open June Asia | dobu | kabal | nin9 | rate | NEUZ |
| Renegades | DH Open September OCE | malta | Sico | INS | Hatz | aliStair |
| ORDER | ESL ANZ Champs | Valiance | USTILO | Rickeh | J1rah | Vexite |
| Endpoint | UK Premiership | Surreal | CRUC1AL | MiGHTYMAX | BOROS | Nertz |
| Sprout | ESL Meisterschaft | Spiidi | faveN | slaxz- | raalz | KEi |
| Wisła Kraków | Mistrzostwa Polski | SZPERO | jedqr | Goofy | Markoś | phr |
| Movistar Riders | Masters España | mopoz | ALEX | DeathZz | SunPayus | dav1g |
| LDLC | Championnat National FR | SIXER | hAdji | Lambert | Maka | Keoz |
| Eternal Fire | Türkiye Şampiyonası | XANTARES | woxic | Calyx | imoRR | xfl0ud |
| EC Brugge | Benelux/Swiss Play-In | Stev0se | matty | n0tice | simix | ritchiEE |
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