IEM Cologne 2024 is upon us. The Cathedral of Counter-Strike is set to open its doors once more, with many of the best CS2 players in the world descending upon Cologne to try to etch their name into CS history. Outside of the Majors, IEM Cologne is arguably the biggest event in the Counter-Strike calendar, a tournament where many teams will be hoping to reach new peaks on the server.
Curious? Read on to find out everything you need to know about IEM Cologne 2024.
Credit: ESL
All of IEM Cologne 2024 will be streamed on the official ESL Twitch channel, which you can find below. If you want to watch the best CS2 teams duke it out on the server, that’s where you’ll find them!
There are 24 teams attending IEM Cologne 2024 in total. Eight of these rosters have already qualified for the Group Stage, while the remaining 16 must duke it out in the brutal Play-Ins phase. Four teams, including IEM Cologne 2023 winners G2, reached the event via winning other CS2 tournaments. 19 find themselves in Germany thanks to their ESL World Ranking, while one team made it to the event via a German qualifier.
IEM Cologne 2024 begins with its Play-In bracket, taking place between 7th – 9th August.
After this, the Group Stage will begin, running from 10th – 13th August.
Players will then be given a two day break before resuming the single-elimination Playoffs, which are between 16th – 18th August.
Credit: ESL
Out of all the Play-In teams at IEM Cologne 2024, a few have our attention. Naturally, we’re looking at Team Liquid to qualify here. It will mark their second event with Twistzz as IGL, and they looked solid in their first outing together. Can they keep the momentum rolling once more? Let’s wait and see.
Then, keep your eye on Complexity. They’re something of a wounded lion at the moment, with several poor showings in a row. However, this can only render them a more dangerous team. With several heads on the line, it could be the exact wrong time to face Complexity. We expect them to make it to the Group Stage, at least. If not, it could be curtains on this iteration of the roster.
We’ve also got high hopes for FURIA. After bringing in skullz for kye, FURIA have made arguably the biggest possible upgrade they could. While their EWC 2024 showing wasn’t perfect, we saw enough to suggest they should be able to progress from the Play-Ins here at IEM Cologne 2024.
Credit: ESL
The Group Stage teams at this event have a ton of interesting storylines. FaZe look truly done and dusted at the moment, but they’ve got that magical ability to pull a rabbit out of their hat at the most random time. Meanwhile, Astralis need a strong showing to show their recent struggles are merely a blip for an otherwise solid roster.
Then, you’ve got G2, who continue to prove their doubters wrong in the new Snax and malbMd roster. The reigning Cologne champions certainly won’t want to lose their crown. Last but not least, we’ve got our eyes on Team Vitality. They’re still out to claim their first trophy of 2024, and the pressure has started to mount on the team that won so much back in 2023.
Group Stage
Credit: ESL
Credit: ESL
As with every IEM Cologne event, ESL have pulled out all the stops when it comes to bagging the best on-screen talent. Casting from the Cathedral of Counter-Strike is an honor – here are the lucky individuals who get to take part in IEM Cologne 2024:
