*N.B. These documents are applicable to all ESL Pro Tour events, with the exception of Valve-sponsored events for which separate documents will be made available.
Boasting over $4 million in prize pool and stopping in all points of the globe, the ESL Pro Tour is an open ecosystem connecting all ESL tournaments, whilst creating a pathway for established and upcoming teams to climb through the ranks and ultimately qualify for an EPT Championship, IEM Katowice & IEM Cologne.
The ESL Pro Tour is divided into 3 tiers of competition - EPT Championship, EPT Masters, EPT Challengers - teams qualify to these tournaments via Open Qualifiers, ESL World Ranking and winning a tournament from the respective tier below. EPT Challenger offers an opportunity for newcomers to hone their skills in a professional environment. EPT Masters, an established ecosystem for teams to compete at a global stage. EPT Championship, where all aspire to win and be a part of Counter-Strike greatness.
Staples of the Counter-Strike competition for years, the EPT Championship tournament are where legends are made. Held twice a year, featuring a 1,000,000 prize pool and Intel Grand Slam Contribution, 24 teams battle it out in 3 stages - Play-In, Group-Stage and Playoffs - to claim the ultimate glory and stamp their mark in history.
Stage | # OF TEAMS | QUALIFIED VIA |
---|---|---|
Play-In | 16 | ESL World Ranking, Local Invite |
Group-Stage
| 16 | Play-in, EPT Championship or Masters win, Valve sponsored Major win, ESL World Ranking
|
Playoff
| 6 | Group-Stage -
1st Place in each group directly to Semis
|
EPT Master tournaments are where teams consistency is put to the test, elite competition where only the world-class or those aspiring to be compete. The goal: Win an EPT Masters trophy and automatically qualify to an EPT Championship. Stopping at all points of the globe and boasting over 2$ Million in prize pool, the tournaments at the EPT Master tier, are divided into two - Intel Extreme Masters & ESL Pro League. IEM offers the traditional tournament format, whilst EPL spans 3 weeks, with a group-stage and Playoff format for 32 teams.
Stage | # OF TEAMS | QUALIFIED VIA |
---|---|---|
Group-Stage
| 16 | ESL World Ranking, Local Invite
|
Playoff
| 6 | Group-Stage |
Stage | # OF TEAMS | QUALIFIED VIA |
---|---|---|
Group-Stage
| 8 x 4 Groups (32)
| Regional Qualifiers, EPT Challenger win, ESL World Ranking
|
Playoff
| 16 Teams | Group-Stage
1st Place to Quarter-Finals
2nd Place to Ro12
3rd/4th to Ro16
|
*N.B. These documents are applicable to all ESL Pro Tour events, with the exception of Valve-sponsored events for which separate documents will be made available.
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