From the 20th to the 23rd of August, Cologne will be the site of the largest Counter-Strike: Global Offensive event in the world as well as the next Valve major. The sixteen teams competing for ESL Cologne 2015's US$250,000 prize pool and championship title begin have now been separated into four groups - check them out below.
Group A
- Ninjas in Pyjamas (
) - Team SoloMid (
) - Renegades (
) - Counter Logic Gaming (
)
Group B
- Team ENVYUS (
) - Luminosity Gaming (
) - Team Kinguin (
) - FlipSid3 Tactics (
)
Group C
- Fnatic ()
- Natus Vincere (
) - Titan ()
- Team eBettle (
)
Group D
- Virtus.Pro ()
- mousesports (
) - Cloud9 ()
- Team Immunity ()
A format with a twist
The groups, each made up of two Legendary and two Challenger teams, will fight it out in a double-elimination best-of-one format, with the top two from each group qualifying for the playoffs.
At the end of the first day, after all four groups have been played out up to and including the winners' match with the elimination match and decider match still to be played out, the groups will be redrawn, with the quarterfinals to be seeded to ensure that teams won't end up facing a team they've already fought until they reach the grand finals.
Following the redrawing, the teams will continue their run through the groups against their new opponents as normal as they all try to earn a spot in the single-elimination best-of-three quarterfinals.
For all the latest about ESL One Cologne including where to get your ticket, be sure to take a look at the ESL One Cologne ticket page, and don't forget that you can also watch the ESL finals live at your local theater thanks to Esports in Cinemas - find out more here!
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