ESL announces Pro League Season 23 Playoffs arena venue

ESL have announced that after a gap of six years, the ESL Pro League Playoffs will be moving to an arena setting with the upcoming ESL Pro League Season 23 Playoffs set to be played in front of a live audience. The ESL Pro League Season 23 Playoffs will take place at the Annexet in Stockholm, Sweden between March 13 - 15, 2026. The Annexet is an indoor ice hockey stadium in Stockholm.

Earlier in March 2025, ESL had announced that the Playoffs would be played in an arena and the tournament organiser have now disclosed the location of the venue. The Playoffs will see the action kick off from the quarter-finals moving up to the finals as the top 8 teams battle in out in exciting BO3 matches before the BO5 Grand Final. The quarter-finals will take place on March 13, 2026 with the semi-finals taking place the following day with the Grand Final scheduled for March 15, 2026.

ESL have also released ticketing details for the Playoffs of ESL Pro League Season 23 Playoffs, with the tickets going live on sale on December 12, 2025 at 4PM CET. Premium tickets start from €365 for 3 day admission with the General Admission Tickets being priced at €228 while the EPL + Upgrade starts from €91. More details about tickets for the Playoffs can be found here.

We’re excited to bring ESL Pro League back to this setting, as Counter-Strike is best played in front of a live audience when the stakes are at their highest, and the trophy needs to be hoisted. Stockholm and Counter-Strike are the perfect match filled with a rich history together. We’ll be looking forward to welcoming the community to experience the rawness of ESL Pro League.
Marc Winther, Director Esports - Counter-Strike at ESL FACEIT Group