ESL Announces Play-In Stage Matches for IEM Cologne 2025 in CS2
Tournament organizer ESL has revealed the matchups for the Play-In stage of one of the most anticipated CS2 events of the year — IEM Cologne 2025. The championship will take place from July 23 to August 3 in Cologne, Germany.
The Play-In stage kicks off on July 23, featuring 16 teams battling for 8 spots in the Group Stage. The opening round will be played in a best-of-1 format, followed by best-of-3 matches. The top eight squads from this phase will join eight invited teams in the next stage.
The Group Stage is scheduled from July 26 to 30 and will follow the GSL format with two groups. The top three teams from each group will advance to the Playoffs.
The final stage of IEM Cologne 2025 will be held at the iconic LANXESS Arena. The tournament boasts a total prize pool of $1 million, with the champion taking home $400,000.
IEM Cologne has long been considered one of the most prestigious events in Counter-Strike, attracting the best teams from around the world and thousands of fans both in the arena and online.
Play-In Stage Match Bracket for IEM Cologne 2025:
Teams in Group A:
Teams in Group BTeams in Group B:
Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2025 is a CS2 tournament organized by ESL with support from Intel. As part of the event, twenty-four teams will compete for a total prize pool of $1,250,000, with $1,000,000 being distributed directly among the players. The final stage of the tournament will take place at the LANXESS Arena in Cologne, Germany.
Danil Chepil is an expert in the world of esports, having been following the esports scene since 2014. He specializes in Counter-Strike, Dota 2, and VALORANT.
Danil began his acquaintance and collaboration with EgamersWorld in 2022 when, after the Russian aggression, he could no longer continue his career as a bartender.
At that time, he didn't realize that he had a talent for writing news and articles on esports and gaming topics.
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