Preview: IEM Cologne 2025

Kicking off the second season of top-tier Counter-Strike will be the legendary IEM Cologne.

The German classic is back in its usual spot right after the player break and will serve as the first big tournament following BLAST.tv Austin Major in June. With $1.25 million on the line and the full CS elite in attendance, Cologne is set to deliver a blockbuster start to the second season of the year.

Among the headline teams are Vitality, Spirit, Falcons, and MOUZ, all looking to kick off their campaigns in style.

For Vitality, the question remains whether they can extend their dominant run from the first half of 2025 into the post-break calendar.

Below is everything you need to know ahead of the event.

Dates and location

️ July 23 – August 3, 2025
LANXESS arena, Cologne, Germany
Prize pool: $1,250,000

Attending teams

Pick’em challenge

If you want to enhance your IEM Cologne 2025 viewing experience, then you can try xplay.gg’s CS2 Pick’Em. You will be able to make predictions on the outcome of IEM matches and get skins for correct predictions.

The more accurate your predictions are, the higher your place in the leaderboard will be. Players from the top-100 of the leaderboard will receive the coolest rewards: skins and xcoins – the site’s currency, which can be exchanged for skins in their store.

Format

• Play-In:
  
  • Double-Elimination bracket
  • All matches are Bo3
  • The top eight teams advance to the Group Stage
    
    
• Group Stage:
  
  • Two double-elimination format (GSL) Groups
    • Each group has eight teams
    • All matches are Bo3
  • The top three teams from each group advance to the Playoffs:
    • Group stage winners advance to the Semifinals
    • Group stage runners-up advance to the Quarterfinals as the High Seeds
    • Group stage 3^rd place teams advance to the Quarterfinals as the Low Seeds
      
      
• Playoffs:
  
  • Single-Elimination bracket
  • The Quarterfinals & Semifinals are Bo3
  • The Grand Final is Bo5

(Source: Liquipedia)

Prize distribution

Here’s the combined prize distribution (main prize + club share):

• 1st – $460,000
• 2nd – $216,000
• 3-4th – $108,000
• 5-6th – $61,000
• 7-8th – $38,000
• 9-12th – $23,000
• 13-16th – $10,000

Broadcast lineup

Here are the broadcast talents for IEM Cologne.

Hosts
Freya “Freya” Spiers
Tres “stunna” Saranthus
Eefje “sjokz” Depoortere

Analysts
Jacob “Pimp” Winneche
Jason “moses” O’Toole
Janko “YNk” Paunović
Joshua “steel” Nissan

Commentators
Chad “SPUNJ” Burchill
Alex “Machine” Richardson
Harry “JustHarry” Russell
Hugo “Hugo” Byron
Neo “Ne0kai” Caine
Harvey “Skriv” Rodgers
Garret “PhY” Schier
Cole “xner” McHenry

Bookmakers favorite

Here’s the full list of outright winner odds for IEM Cologne, according to Bet365.

1. Vitality – 1.83
2. Falcons – 5.50
3. Spirit – 6.50
4. MOUZ – 6.50
5. The MongolZ – 9.00
6. Natus Vincere – 16.00
7. Aurora – 21.00
8. FaZe Clan – 21.00
9. G2 Esports – 34.00
10. Astralis – 41.00
11. FURIA – 51.00
12. Liquid – 76.00
13. Virtus.pro – 76.00
14. HEROIC – 76.00
15. TYLOO – 76.00
16. GamerLegion – 101.00
17. paiN Gaming – 101.00
18. 3DMAX – 101.00
19. Ninjas in Pyjamas – 101.00
20. MIBR – 151.00
21. B8 – 151.00
22. Complexity – 251.00
23. BIG – 251.00
24. FlyQuest – 501.00

How to watch

ESL on YouTube

ESL on Twitch