PGE Turow and ThunderFlash break record for most rounds played in a match

The all-Polish matchup was a best-of-five series, with three of the maps going to overtime.

PGE Turow and ThunderFlash broke the record for the most rounds played in a series recorded on HLTV on June 18, playing 173 rounds over seven-and-a-half hours in the best-of-five grand final of the Polish Esports League.

All five maps went the distance, with three spilling over into overtime. Ultimately it was PGE Turow who triumphed 3-2 in the mammoth series, which saw all bar one player finish with over 100 frags across the five maps.

A near-eight year record has now been broken

The regional battle between the Polish squads claimed a record that has stood for nearly eight years, as the previous record-holding series was a six-map bout between MOUZ and HellRaisers in August 2015 for the Acer Predator Masters title. That series lasted for 164 rounds and was contested in a LAN environment in Krefeld, Germany.

Looking at some of the other series that are amongst the highest round counts, two ESL Pro League grand final matches make the cut, Season 13’s final between Gambit and HEROIC and Season 16’s bout between Liquid and Vitality. Interestingly HEROIC make three total appearances in the top 10, as their Toyota Masters Final bout with TYLOO in 2018 and their battle with Vitality in the final of DreamHack Open Fall 2020 also feature.

The 10 series recorded on HLTV with the most rounds played are:

1. PGE Turow 3 - 2 ThunderFlash (Polish Esports League, 2023, 173 rounds played)

2. MOUZ 3 - 4 HellRaisers (Acer Predator Masters, 2015, 164 rounds played)

3. TYLOO 2 - 3 HEROIC (Toyota Master Bangkok, 2018, 161 rounds played)

4. Gambit 2 - 3 HEROIC (ESL Pro League Season 13, 2021, 157 rounds played)

5. Liquid 2 - 3 Vitality (ESL Pro League Season 16, 2022, 155 rounds played)

6=. 0to100 2 - 3 4glory (Kuvo OneTap Winter, 2022,154 rounds played)

6=. BIG Academy 3 - 2 ECLOT (Y-Games Pro Series, 2022, 154 rounds played)

6=. Extra Salt 2 - 3 GODSENT (DreamHack Open September NA, 2021, 154 rounds played)

6=. Vitality 2 - 3 HEROIC (DreamHack Open Fall, 2020, 154 rounds played)

10. SK 3 - 2 Virtus.pro (EPICENTER, 2017, 151 rounds played)