IEM Cologne 2024: New Updates, Schedules, and Teams

The bells are ringing while they await the new champion. The historic transition in IEM Cologne 2024 is about to happen; which teams will be part of it?

Tournament Format and Prize Pool

The days finally caught up with the calendar as one of the most significant events in Counter-Strike 2 began. This grand event has an astounding $1 million prize pool and 7,000 BLAST Premier points to award the tournament champs. The IEM Cologne 2024 has three stages for teams: Play-in, Group Stage, and lastly, the Playoffs. 

A double elimination bracket from August 7-9, 2024, will take place with sixteen competing teams for the play-in stage. A total of eight winning teams will join the other eight invited teams for the group stage. 

In this stage, it will follow a double-elimination format with two GSL groups. From August 10–13, 2024, sixteen teams will have to battle and secure their standings. Only the top three teams from each group will proceed to the playoff stage (August 16–18).

A best-of-five series showdown will happen in the Grand Finals (August 18) to put an epic conclusion to the tournament.

This year’s format is far from the previous IEM tournaments. It will not feature any best-of-one matches. Aside from this, the games from the play-in stages will implement a best-of-three series to ensure competitive gaming. 

Teams and Qualifications

While eight teams will come from the play-in stage, eight teams already await the group stage. These are squads that qualified based on their performances in the previous IEM events and their ESL World Rankings. 

1. Team Spirit (IEM Katowice 2024 champion)
2. FaZe Clan (IEM Chengdu 2024 champion)
3. MOUZ (ESL Pro League Season 19 champion)
4. G2 Esports (IEM Dallas 2024 champion)
5. Team Vitality
6. Natus Vincere
7. Astralis
8. Virtus.pro

These are the 16 teams that will battle through the play-in stage for the final eight spots in the group stage: 

• Alternate Attax
• Heroic
• Eternal Fire
• Team Falcons
• Complexity Gaming
• 9Z Globant
• The Mongolz
• Flyquest
• Team Liquid
• Imperial
• Furia Esports
• Big
• 3D Max
• Pain Gaming
• MIBR
• SAW

A New Era for Counter-Strike

Unlike the previous years, IEM Cologne 2024 serves as a benchmark for the Counter-Strike community. This year’s tournament has transitioned to Counter-Strike 2 from CS:GO. 

It’ll be an extra layer of excitement and unpredictability for fans and viewers of the tournament. This will also challenge teams to adapt to the new game mechanics and features. 

New Updates

A stage just wrapped up within the IEM Cologne 2024. The sixteen teams have fought in a best-of-three series, only for eight teams to emerge as winners in their bracket. The winners will proceed to the group stage. 

On August 7, 2024, twelve teams engaged in a battle for the play-in stage. Eternal Fire sees victory in their match against the Falcons after scoring 13-5, 8-13, and 13-11. MIBR reversed swept their opponent, Heroic, with scores of 10-13, 13-7, and 13-7 in their game. 

SAW finished their series against The MongolZ with a conclusive win of 16-13, 5-13, and 13-5. On the other hand, Complexity Gaming and 9z Globant get a clean win over Alternate Attax and 3D Max. BIG overturned the match with FlyQuest by scoring 10-13, 11-13 in the last two rounds.

Action continues on August 8, 2024, as seven teams fight for survival. The Heroic rise as victors against 3D Max on a score of 13-5, 7-13, and 5-13 in their battle. SAW managed to bounce back as they ended their match with BIG in 7-13, 13-5, and 13-11. 

Liquid secured victory after losing the first round in Furia on a 13-8, 11-13, 7-13 score. Eventually, Furia won by scoring 3-13, 13-11, and 13-0 over Imperial.

Excitement and thrills follow through the next day of the play-in stage. Nine teams will partake in a non-stop action match on August 9, 2024. 

A loss for BIG as they concede against the Falcons in a 7-13, 13-10, 10-13 battle. PaiN sees light in their victory over Imperial, as they secure scores of 10-13, 13-10, and 13-7. Heroic will have to bow out of contention as Furia takes the win with 13-11, 8-13, and 13-11. 

Falcons and Complexity Gaming, respectively, sweep their matches against Eternal Fire and Alternate Attax. The fight for the spot in the group stage will continue until August 10, 2024. 

Conclusion

The competitive scene of Counter-Strike 2 begins to shape up as IEM Cologne 2024 begins. The monumental “Cathedral of Counter-Strike” witnessed changes that transpired in the tournament throughout the years. It is only a matter of skills and strategy that will turn things around as the days draw closer to the Grand Finale. Who will reign as champions in this year’s IEM Cologne 2024? Maybe the bell will have the answer.