Evgenii "Gufis" Kondratev For many Counter-Strike 2 fans, IEM Cologne is the most important tournament of the summer. While there may be more money involved in Saudi Arabia at the Esports World Cup, the tournament in Germany carries a richer history. Ten years ago, the ESL tournament was a major, and only Cologne and Katowice have hosted a Valve tournament three times. As a result, the audience at LANXESS Arena has witnessed a lot over the years.
The current format of the tournament may seem complex to the uninitiated, but at its core, it remains straightforward. Eight teams are directly invited to the group stage, while another eight teams qualify through the Play-in. The Play-in is played in a large Double-Elimination bracket with 16 teams.
Among the major upsets was the failure of HEROIC to advance. However, they have an excuse: Degster was unable to obtain a visa, forcing the team to play with a substitute. All other favorites, including Team Liquid, FURIA, and Complexity, made it through.
Group A. Image: liquipedia.net
The group stage will follow the familiar ESL format. All teams are divided into two large groups of eight participants each. They will play in a Double-Elimination bracket. The winner of the upper bracket will advance directly to the tournament's semifinals, while the teams finishing in second and third place will move on to the quarterfinals. The rest will be eliminated from IEM Cologne.
Group B. Image: liquipedia.net
The prize pool for the competition is one million dollars. Additionally, the winner of the event will make a strong bid for the Intel Grand Slam — an additional one million-dollar prize.
Main image: x.com
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