Today marks the start of the first stage of IEM Cologne 2023

IEM Cologne 2023 consists of two stages: the play-in and the main event, which includes the group stage and playoffs. Eight teams have already advanced to the main event, while another eight will be selected from the 16 teams competing in the play-in: four winners from the upper bracket quarterfinals and four from the lower bracket.

The winners of the opening matches in the play-in automatically move on to the upper bracket quarterfinals, while the losing teams enter the first round of the lower bracket. All opening matches are played in a Best of 1 (BO1) format.

IEM Cologne 2023 takes place from July 26th to August 6th. The tournament features 24 teams competing for a prize pool of $1 million and the opportunity to secure a spot at IEM Katowice 2024.