IEM Cologne 2023 To Be Most Iconic CS:GO Tournament in History — Date, Schedule, Teams
Counter-Strike fans are getting hyped for the arrival of IEM Cologne 2023, the first big event of the new CS:GO season.
IEM Cologne has become one of the most important events in the season — with the same amount of importance to pro teams as Valve’s majors. Nicknamed the “Cathedral of Counter-Strike,” Cologne is home to this legendary event that entices thousands of fans to the LANXESS arena from all over the world.
This is the last year that IEM Cologne will have CS:GO as the scene moves to Counter-Strike 2 later this year. For this reason, IEM Cologne is even more meaningful than ever before. Here’s how to tune in to this emotional and action-packed tournament.
IEM Cologne 2023 Dates and Schedule
IEM Cologne is fast approaching. It will take place from July 25 to August 6, 2023.
Like many other big tournaments, the Play-In and Group Stage will both be private, with viewers only able to follow the action on stream, and the Playoffs will take place at the arena with a crowd of in-person fans. Buy tickets here.
Play-In (July 25-26)
- 16-team double-elimination bracket
- Opening round is BO1, rest of the stage is BO3
- Top 8 teams advance
Group Stage (July 27-30)
- Two groups of eight teams
- Double elimination
- Top 3 teams from each group (6) advance
Playoff Stage (August 4-6)
- Single-elimination bracket with Group winners in Semi-Finals
- Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals are BO3, Grand Final is BO5
IEM Cologne 2023 Prize Pool
This iconic event has a whopping $1 million prize pool. Here’s how it’s broken down:
- 1st - $400,000
- 2nd - $180,000
- 3-4 - $80,000
- 5-6 - $40,000
- 7-8 - $24,000
- 9-12 - $16,000
- 13-16 - $10,000
- 17-20 - $4,500
- 21-24 - $2,500
Teams Competing at IEM Cologne 2023
IEM Cologne 2023 features the 24 top teams from every region. Eight of the teams qualified through previous tournaments and will go right to the Group Stage. The other 16 teams will start at the Play-In Stage to find out who will join the other eight.
Group Stage Teams
- G2 Esports
- FaZe Clan
- Vitality
- ENCE
- Heroic
- Cloud9
- Natus Vincere
- GamerLegion
Play-In Stage Teams
- MOUZ
- Apeks
- 9INE
- FURIA
- Team Liquid
- Imperial
- The Mongolz
- Grayhound
- Fnatic
- Complexity
- Monte
- NiP
- OG
- Into the Breach
- Astralis
- BIG
How to Watch IEM Cologne 2023
Tune in to the action — and watch the final IEM Cologne to feature CS:GO — on Twitch. The event will be streamed live on the official IEM Twitch channel.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!