The 2022 road to Cologne reaches its final destination as Intel® Extreme Masters returns to the LANXESS Arena

Starting July 5, 24 top Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams will face off for the $1,000,000 total prize pool and the coveted title

Cologne/New York The Cathedral of Counter-Strike is again ready to welcome fans and players as it stands to host Intel® Extreme Masters (IEM) Cologne 2022. Starting July 5, 24 of the world’s best Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) teams will battle it out for their share of the $1,000,000 total prize pool, and one of the most prestigious titles of the CS:GO scene.

The tournament’s final stage takes place at the iconic LANXESS Arena in Cologne, Germany, where fans can watch the top six teams play live on stage on July 15-17. IEM Cologne 2022 marks the sixth time that ESL Gaming returns to the LANXESS Arena. With the two latest editions taking place online and in a studio environment, it is ESL Gaming’s first live event of this scale in Germany in almost three years.

Among the participating teams are the entirely German squad representing BIG, and renowned German organizations MOUZ and Sprout. They are joined by last year’s title holder Natus Vincere, this year’s IEM Katowice champions FaZe Clan, the recent IEM Dallas winners Cloud9, and many others.

Apart from being crowned champions of IEM Cologne 2022 and taking home a big chunk of the massive prize pool, the winning team will also earn a title in the race to the Intel® Grand Slam IV. With a $1 million cash prize at stake, the first team to win three ESL Pro Tour (EPT) Masters tournaments and one EPT Championship tournament (IEM Katowice, IEM Cologne, or ESL-operated CS:GO Majors) inside a span of ten consecutive events, will mark it’s era in CS:GO history.

When and where to watch

IEM Cologne 2022 kicks off on Tuesday, July 5, as the 16 Play-In Stage teams enter a double-elimination bracket. From there, the top eight teams join eight already qualified teams in the Group Stage. Then, the teams will be divided into two groups as they make their way through a best-of-three double-elimination bracket that will see the three best teams of each group proceed to the Playoffs. Being played in front of a live audience on the stage of the LANXESS Arena in Cologne, Germany, and with best-of-three quarter- and semifinals and a best-of-five final, the Playoff Stage will eventually see the best team become this year’s IEM Cologne champion.

Fans from around the world who cannot attend the event live in Cologne, Germany, can tune in online during the exciting and content-filled transmissions. The competition can be watched on ESL Gaming’s CS:GO Twitch channels, and will be broadcasted by our dedicated broadcast partners.

For the latest updates and more information about IEM Cologne, please visit the official website, and follow ESL CS on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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About ESL Gaming

ESL Gaming is the world’s leading esports company. For more than two decades, we have been shaping the industry and leading esports and gaming innovation globally across the most popular video games, creating a comprehensive ecosystem with opportunities for players to go from zero to hero, and for fans to witness the best stories esports has to offer. Our portfolio consists of high-profile products such as the ESL Pro Tour, Intel® Extreme Masters, DreamHack Festivals, the Snapdragon® Pro Series, and many more, ranging from grassroots to global elite competitions. ESL Gaming is a part of the world’s leading competitive gaming platform ESL FACEIT Group.

About Intel® Extreme Masters 

Intel® Extreme Masters is the longest-running global professional esports tournament circuit in the world. Started in 2006 by Intel and ESL, the competition has now traveled to over 30 cities around the globe and conducted tournaments for 11 different competitive gaming titles. Esports fans from more than 180 countries regularly make IEM events record-breakers in terms of stadium attendance and viewership, with the tournament’s inaugural event in Australia in May 2017 marking the fifth continent for the global competitive circuit. Throughout more than 75 IEM events, over US $11 million in prize money has been awarded to some of the world’s top esports talent (www.intelextrememasters.com).

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