Vitality and MOUZ reach ESL Pro League S24 final after ZywOo sinks Aurora and MOUZ edge Spirit on Nuke

Team Vitality and MOUZ will contest the ESL Pro League Season 24 grand final at Katowice's Spodek Arena. Both teams won their semi-finals 2-1 on Saturday 10 October. Vitality lost the first map to Aurora and then won the next two, with Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut leading the way. In the evening semi-final, MOUZ held off Team Spirit in a close decider on Nuke.

Vitality recover after losing Anubis

Aurora picked Anubis and won it comfortably, 13-7. Vitality answered on their own pick, Cache, winning by the same 13-7 score, and then took the deciding map, Mirage, 13-8.

ZywOo was named player of the match. He finished with 52 kills and 36 deaths, an ADR of 83.4 and a 1.44 rating. The French side reached the semi-finals by sweeping PARIVISION, winning Inferno 13-2 and Dust II 13-10. Aurora reached the last four with a 2-0 win in their quarter-final.

MOUZ hold their nerve on Nuke

The second semi-final was a rematch between MOUZ and Spirit and went the full three maps. MOUZ opened by winning Dust2 13-7. Spirit took Mirage, with Danil "donk" Kryshkovets scoring 19 kills on that map, including a one-versus-two clutch. According to HLTV, he had an unusually quiet series overall and finished level on 46 kills and 46 deaths.

MOUZ won the decider, Nuke, 13-11. Oldřich "PR" Nový scored 27 kills on the map, 17 of them in the first half. Ádám "torzsi" Torzsás won a key post-plant round with three kills, and Lotan "Spinx" Giladi picked up a late double after MOUZ had lost a one-versus-one. Myroslav "zont1x" Plakhotia was Spirit's highest-rated player across the series. MOUZ came into the semi-final after sweeping FURIA in the quarter-finals, and Spirit had swept Team Falcons.

Final schedule in Malaysia time

ESL's estimated times for Sunday 11 October, converted from Central European Summer Time:

• Third-place decider, Aurora vs Spirit: 7.30pm Malaysia time
• Grand final, Vitality vs MOUZ: 11pm Malaysia time, best-of-five

The grand final may run past midnight in Malaysia, so fans watching from here should allow for a late finish. The broadcast is on ESL's official channels.

What is at stake

The event's total prize pool is US$1 million. The champion takes US$295,000, the runner-up US$175,000, third place US$120,000 and fourth place US$85,000. The four beaten quarter-finalists, including Falcons, PARIVISION and FURIA, each received US$50,000.

ESL Pro League S24 is one of the last big events before the PGL Major in Singapore, which runs from 25 November to 13 December. Results here also feed into the Valve Regional Standings, which decide Major invitations.

Key takeaways

• Vitality beat Aurora 2-1: Anubis 7-13, Cache 13-7, Mirage 13-8.
• ZywOo was player of the match with 52 kills and a 1.44 rating.
• MOUZ beat Spirit 2-1, winning Dust2 13-7 and Nuke 13-11 either side of a Spirit win on Mirage.
• The best-of-five grand final is on Sunday 11 October at about 11pm Malaysia time.
• The winner receives US$295,000 from the US$1 million prize pool.

FAQ

Who is playing in the ESL Pro League Season 24 final? Team Vitality and MOUZ. Both won their semi-finals 2-1 at the Spodek Arena in Katowice, Poland.

What time is the ESL Pro League S24 grand final in Malaysia? It is scheduled for 5pm CEST on Sunday 11 October, which is 11pm Malaysia time. Treat this as an estimate, because the start depends on how long the third-place match takes.

Is there a third-place match? Yes. Aurora and Spirit play for third place at about 7.30pm Malaysia time on Sunday 11 October.

Sources: HLTV, Field Level Media, esports.gg, eGamersWorld