EPL Season 23 Wrap-Up: EVP Awards and Team of the Tournament Revealed

ESL Pro League Season 23 has officially concluded, delivering two weeks of high-level Counter-Strike action and standout individual performances. In the grand final held on March 15, NAVI secured a convincing 3:1 victory over Aurora, claiming their first tier-1 trophy since October 2024.

Shortly after the финал, HLTV unveiled its list of top performers of the tournament. NAVI’s Drin “makazze” Shaqiri earned the MVP award following a dominant run throughout the event. Alongside him, several players received EVP (Exceptionally Valuable Player) honors for their consistent impact and key contributions.

The EVP list includes:

• Igor “w0nderful” Zhdanov (NAVI)

• Ali “Wicadia” Haydar Yalçın (Aurora)

• Love “phzy” Smidebrant (Astralis)

These players stood out across multiple matches, delivering crucial performances against top-tier opposition and playing a major role in their teams’ deep runs.

HLTV also revealed the official Team of the Tournament, highlighting the five most impactful players of EPL Season 23:

• Engin “MAJ3R” Küpeli (Aurora)

• Igor “w0nderful” Zhdanov (NAVI)

• Drin “makazze” Shaqiri (NAVI)

• Ali “Wicadia” Haydar Yalçın (Aurora)

• Valeriy “b1t” Vakhovskiy (NAVI)

The selection reflects NAVI’s dominance throughout the event, with three players making the lineup, while Aurora secured two spots after their impressive run to the grand final.

ESL Pro League Season 23 took place from March 1 to March 15 and featured 24 teams competing for a total prize pool of $1,000,000. The tournament once again confirmed NAVI’s return to top form and introduced several rising stars who are quickly establishing themselves on the tier-1 scene.

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With standout performances, a long-awaited trophy for NAVI, and a new generation of talent making headlines, EPL Season 23 will be remembered as one of the most competitive editions of the league in recent years.