Over seven days, the 16 best CS:GO teams of the ESL Pro Tour will battle for their share of the US $1 million prize pool and a point towards the Intel® Grand Slam
(Cologne) – September 28th, 2019 – ESL One Cologne powered by Intel®, widely regarded as the “Cathedral of Counter-Strike” will again return to LANXESS arena, Germany’s largest indoor arena and most renowned center of elite gameplay. From July 6-12, 2020, the record-breaking tournament will feature competition amongst the 16 best CS:GO teams, as they strive to cement themselves as the champions of the first-ever summer Masters Championship within the ESL Pro Tour. Teams will also fight for a title towards the Intel® Grand Slam and for their share of the US$1 million in prize money.
Ahead of main stage gameplay at LANXESS arena, teams will go head to head into group stages taking place on July 6 to 9. Two groups of 8 teams will face-off in two double elimination brackets, with the top six teams advancing to the playoffs. From July 10 to 12, teams will compete in front of a packed crowd of esports fans. Three times the amount of last year’s tournament, the prize pool affirms ESL One Cologne as one of the most important competitions in the calendar.
“By introducing the ESL Pro Tour we want to give every team, no matter how known or unknown they are as of yet, the chance to go from zero to hero”, said Ulrich Schulze, Senior Vice President of Product at ESL. “Through the open ecosystem we have created, ESL can truly make sure that the most talented teams in the world will get the chance they deserve. The Masters and Challengers build a coherent storyline throughout the year concluding in its climax: the Cathedral of Counter-Strike. ESL One Cologne motivates players around the world to climb up all levels of the ESL Pro Tour and fulfill their ambitions, celebrated by the fans in one of the most iconic venues of esports.”
With the introduction of the ESL Pro Tour and ESL One Cologne’s position as a Masters Championship being the highest tier tournament within the circuit, it represents the final destination of all preceding Challenger and Masters tournaments. A total of over 70,000 faithful fans have attended the Cathedral of Counter-Strike and the event has sold out in four consecutive years. The elite esports competition will be played out in front of up to 15,000 live attendees and millions watching online through live broadcasts in over a dozen different languages. Striving to sell out for a fifth time in a row, ESL One Cologne follows the credo “We are One” which allows for visitors to be closer to the players, the game and other fans.
Early Bird tickets will go on sale for ESL One Cologne on October 3rd at 11am CEST and range in price between 64€ for a Weekend ticket and 799€ for a Global Elite ticket.
For more information about the event visit the official website and check out the ESL One Cologne 2020 announcement trailer. Be sure to follow ESL One CS:GO on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest updates.