ESL announce invites for ECL S51 Cup #3

Yesterday, ESL announced the fourteen VRS invites for ESL Challenger League Season 51 Cup #3. The two teams rounding out the roster are LAG and 33, who qualified through last year's ESEA Elite S55 Cup #2. The winner will claim a spot at the ECL S51 Regional Final, where teams will fight for an appearance at ESL Pro League S24.

M80 are already in the regional final, while the second entrant is being decided this week at Cup #2.

Similar to the ongoing Cup #2, many top teams declined invites to this event. These teams are mostly prioritizing LAN events as the fight for a spot at the IEM Cologne Major reaches a fever pitch. Some notable decliners include NRG, M80, Voca, Marsborne, and Wildcard.

ECL Cups feature a double-elimination bracket. The winner of this cup can still participate in future cups to gain an advantage in the regional finals. If a team wins two ECL Cups, they qualify directly for the final of the regional finals. Three wins will result in the cancellation of the semifinals. If a squad wins all four ECL Cups, they bypass the regional finals and qualify directly for the ESL Pro League.

The full team list for ECL S51 Cup #3 is:

ESL Challenger League Season 51 Cup #3 is scheduled to begin on April 2nd.