The Cathedral of Counter-Strike is calling, as the competitive calendar heads to Germany once again for IEM Cologne 2023. Over the years, CS:GO Cologne events have always been some of the most anticipated around, and they always result in some fireworks on the server.
This time around, IEM Cologne has a special meaning. With the upcoming release of Counter-Strike 2, it could be the last ever IEM Cologne event to be played on CS:GO. For that reason alone, expect to see teams at their best as they look to cement their legacy in the game for good.
You can watch every single round of IEM Cologne 2023 live on ESL’s official Twitch channel. Here, you’ll never miss a kill by tuning in on a daily basis to see what the world’s best CS:GO players have in store for us on the server.
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24 teams enter IEM Cologne 2023, with 8 already finding themselves in the Group Stage. The other 16 must fight for their place via the Play-Ins. Of the IEM Cologne invited teams, four (G2, FaZe Clan, Team Vitality, and ENCE) arrive as a direct result of winning other tournaments. Meanwhile, the other 20 have been invited to IEM Cologne 2023 due to their placement in the ESL World Rankings.
The Play-Ins kick off IEM Cologne 2023, taking place from 26th-28th July.
The Group Stage is then where things really start to heat up, as the stakes increase:
Finally, there’s the Playoffs, where teams fight for ultimate glory:
It’s a fairly standard formula that most IEM tournaments follow. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.
Due to the high stakes of the tournament, expect to see the teams of IEM Cologne 2023 in top form.
Credit: IEM
Our favorites to qualify from the IEM Cologne 2023 Play-Ins are Astralis and Ninjas in Pyjamas. Both teams impressed during the BLAST Premier Fall Groups for different reasons. Astralis’ pick-ups of Staehr and b0RUP look to be good value already, with the duo filling their roles well in the opening games. Meanwhile, the Ninjas in Pyjamas had a great showing too, with young AWPer headtr1ck beginning to come of age, while Brollan recovered the sort of form that made him one of the world’s top talents just a few years ago. IEM Cologne 2023 is a great opportunity for both of these teams to prove it wasn’t just a flash-in-the-pan moment.
FURIA are our curiosity pick for IEM Cologne 2023’s Play-Ins. They made some serious moves during Rostermania, signing both FalleN and chelo to replace drop and saffee. This Brazilian roster means business by bringing in one of the best AWPers of all time. Even if FalleN is 32 now, it’s always exciting to see him on the server.
The team that is really exciting us here is MOUZ. After bringing Jimpphat up from MOUZ NXT, and re-signing IGL prospect siuhy from GamerLegion, this is a seriously young roster. With the oldest player being 21 years old, expect to see some inexperience at play here. Importantly, the hunger to win will be there, and that’s what we’re most excited to see.
Play-Ins
Credit: IEM
Our two favorite teams to watch in the Group Stage of IEM Cologne 2023 are Team Vitality and Cloud9. After winning the BLAST Paris Major in May, Vitality have looked like a true force to be reckoned with on the server. They made the controversial decision to bench proven winner dupreeh in favor of young talent flameZ, and it’ll be curious to see how he settles. Meanwhile, Cloud9 are seen as the big winners of Rostermania, with the acquisition of both Perfecto and electroNic from NAVI. On paper, they instantly look like a tournament-winning team. If they can gel fast, we’re in for a treat.
Meanwhile, keep an eye on G2. They’ve had an awful few months, however they decided to stick with controversial IGL HooXi over the Summer. After an appalling BLAST Premier Fall Groups from the team, a poor CS:GO Cologne performance could cause the team to think twice about its choice.
We’re perhaps most excited about NAVI here. Only s1mple and b1t remain of the previous NAVI iteration, with the team adding Aleksib, iM, and jL. It’s a total overhaul, and they improved in every game at the BLAST Premier Fall Groups. While the team isn’t perfect yet, the potential here is both clear and enormous.
Group Stage
Credit: IEM
Credit: IEM
IEM Cologne 2023 runs from July 26th – August 6th, bringing nearly two weeks of top-quality Counter-Strike for you to digest and enjoy.
It kicks off with the three-day Play-Ins, taking place from July 26th – July 28th. While technically part of the main tournament, it’s not quite the big stage yet.
Then, there’s the Group Stage of IEM Cologne. With no rest for the players, the madness runs from July 29th – August 1st.
Once we’ve seen the Group Stage, the Playoffs take place from August 4th – August 6th, after a couple of days rest for players and talent alike. Hosted in the LANXESS Arena, commonly called the Cathedral of Counter-Strike, this is where we’ll crown possibly the final ever CS:GO Cologne winner.
Credit: IEM
As one of the final competitive CS:GO events ever, IEM has gone all out on securing the top talent all around. This means that IEM Cologne 2o23 is going to be stacked with incredible commentary and analysis, making it a must-watch.
Here’s the full array of talent for IEM Cologne 2023:
EN Global 
JP 日本語
BR Português