ESL announces Katowice and Cologne tournament dates for 2023
Tournament operator ESL has announced the dates for the Intel Extreme Masters series championships in Katowice and Cologne for 2023. Taking into account the updated schedule of breaks for players, the tournaments have been moved relative to the previous values. Two LAN tournaments with a prize pool of $1,000,000 are scheduled for the period from January 31 to February 12 and from July 25 to August 6, respectively.
"I'm always honored to invite fans back to two of the most recognizable esports events around the world. We're already bubbling with excitement as we begin our annual planning for two of the most passionate esports events." - Sean Clarke, Senior Director of Gaming Ecosystems, CS:GO at ESL FACEIT Group
The dates shown mean that the Polish event will take place two weeks earlier than in 2022, while the German competition will take place two weeks later compared to the previous year's iteration.
The first on the list is traditionally IEM Katowice 2023. Next season, the organizers will hold the usual championship in Poland from January 31 to February 12 at the Spodek Arena.
In the summer, fans are waiting for IEM Cologne 2023, which will be held from July 25 to August 6 at the LANXESS arena. Remarkably, the winner of the Katowice tournament automatically guarantees participation in IEM Cologne 2023.
Both events offer the same format: 16 participants start from the Play-In stage, from where exactly half advance to the group stage. Here, 8 qualified teams will join the invited participants, with whom they will compete for six spots in the playoffs.
Schedule of events |
|---|
Stage
IEM Katowice 2023
IEM Cologne 2023
play-in
January 31 - February 1
July 25-26
Group stage
February 2-5
July 27-30
Playoffs
February 10-12
August 4-6
1956Poligon
The final game at the IEM Cologne 2023 tournament gained the highest popularity2214PoligonESL and HLTV recognized NiKo as the most outstanding player of IEM Cologne 20231653PoligonM0NESY on the victory in Cologne: "Our triumph has become an unforgettable moment in history"1597Bodello
G2 Ends Astralis' Winning Streak, Secures Spot in IEM Cologne Grand Final1795BodelloAstralis Dominates Danish Derby, Secures IEM Cologne Semi-Final Spot Against G21724PoligonThe NAVI team failed to reach the playoffs of the IEM Cologne tournament for the first time50fauesdeFURIA crush Falcons 2–0 and prepare to challenge Vitality in the IEM Chengdu 2025 Grand FinalDominant and disciplined, FURIA swept Falcons 2–0 at IEM Chengdu 2025. With yuurih leading the charge, the Brazilian squad secures their spot in the grand final versus Vitality.69fauesdeVitality advance to the IEM Chengdu 2025 Grand Final after a comeback against MOUZ — ropz shines on the deciderropz powered Vitality past MOUZ 2–1 in the IEM Chengdu 2025 semifinal, delivering a huge comeback on Nuke and sealing the win on Inferno to claim a grand final spot.151fauesdeFURIA crush The MongolZ and advance to the IEM Chengdu 2025 semifinalsA flawless showing from FURIA at IEM Chengdu 2025 — the Brazilians swept The MongolZ 2–0 with commanding wins on Mirage and Overpass to reach the semifinals versus Falcons.150fauesdeVitality eliminate Astralis from IEM Chengdu and advance to the semifinals thanks to flameZ’s stellar performanceVitality eliminate Astralis from IEM Chengdu, taking Inferno and Mirage to book their semifinal spot against Falcons. flameZ shines as MVP with an impressive 1.35 rating.311fauesdeFalcons crushed Astralis and advanced to the IEM Chengdu 2025 semifinalsFalcons crushed Astralis in a 2–0 sweep at IEM Chengdu 2025. With flawless coordination and kyousuke’s standout performance, the team confidently advanced to the semifinals.313fauesdeMOUZ outlast FURIA in a tense series to reach the IEM Chengdu 2025 semifinalsIn a tense three-map battle at IEM Chengdu 2025, MOUZ edged out FURIA 2:1 to secure a semifinal spot, while KSCERATO impressed with a stellar 1.31 rating.
#3
MOUZ
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FalconsWatch match
