As a seasoned gamer with years of Counter-Strike under my belt, I must say that the news about the return of ESL’s iconic events like IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne in 2025 has filled me with a mix of excitement and anticipation. The prospect of witnessing these Championship-level competitions, representing the pinnacle of competition in the ESL Pro Tour 2025, is nothing short of exhilarating!
Just as anticipated, the renowned ESL tournaments, IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne, are set to make a comeback in the year 2025. These are the sole tournament-level events, signifying the top echelon of competition within the ESL Pro Tour 2025.
What other events did ESL announce?
Apart from the two top-tier tournaments, there are going to be three IEM Master-level events scheduled for cities including Dallas, Chengdu, and another location that hasn’t been revealed just yet.
As a dedicated gamer, I regret to say that I won’t be making my way back to the vibrant streets of Rio de Janeiro for IEM in 2025. The disappointing turnout from spectators last time didn’t sit well with the Counter-Strike community, it seems.
The #ESLProTour makes a comeback in 2025! We’re looking forward to a $22M+ financial commitment for the years 2025 and 2026. Every final will be a Best of Five series, eliminating Best of One openers. Additionally, there will be two EPT Championships and five EPT Masters events scheduled. Stay tuned for ticket sales for #IEM Katowice and Cologne, which go on sale next week. For complete details about dates and changes, check out our blog post below.
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) October 18, 2024
There’s talk circulating that the last event could signal a resurgence of the IEM Sydney tournament in Australia. We’ll need to keep an eye out to find out if these whispers are accurate.
ESL Pro League: Continuing Despite Challenges
In contrast to rumors suggesting the ESL Pro League might cease operation once the partner leagues conclude, EFG has announced that this premier tournament will make a comeback in 2025, featuring not one but two editions, both of which are scheduled to take place in Europe.
This season’s English Premier League (EPL) is set to undergo a change in structure. Instead of the usual 32 teams, it will now comprise 24 teams, marking a reduction from previous years. The competition will emulate a Major tournament by incorporating two Swiss stages into its format.
Team Selection: Fewer Qualifiers
There’s a major change in the selection process of teams. Instead of open qualifiers, ESL will predominantly rely on the Valve Regional Rankings to decide participants for IEM Katowice, IEM Spring, IEM Cologne, and IEM Chengdu events.
Just half of the competing teams will come from IEM Dallas, as well as both seasons of the Pro League, since they are the only ones with qualifying events.
Many are thrilled to hear that ESL has decided to do away with best-of-one matches entirely. From now on, it’s all best-of-three (BO3) series, with the grand finals being a best-of-five (BO5) showdown!
Overview of the Seven Announced Events
Championship-Level Events:
- IEM Katowice, Poland: January 29 – February 9
- IEM Cologne, Germany: July 23 – August 3
Masters-Level Events:
- ESL Pro League Season 21, Europe: February 25 – March 16 (Location TBD)
- IEM Spring: April 21 – 27 (Location TBD)
- IEM Dallas, USA: May 19 – 25
- ESL Pro League Season 22, Europe: September 23 – October 12 (Location TBD)
- IEM Chengdu, China: November 3 – 9
What do you think about this news? Will the removal of qualifiers for most of the events turn out to be a mistake?
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2024-10-21 14:09