Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2023: Teams, Schedule and More

The $1,000,000 Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2023 will see the participation of 24 teams from around the world 

With a million dollars in prize pool and 24 teams, the IEM Cologne 2023 is set to be this year’s second-biggest CSGO event so far after the Paris Major. LANXESS arena in Cologne, Germany, is preparing to witness history as the bests of Counter-Strike compete for twelve days at this ESL-organized tournament. 

Starting on July 26, IEM Cologne 2023 will be the last one of the event’s series that will be played on CS:GO before the world transitions to Counter-Strike 2. Here is everything you need to know about this event, including viewing guides and schedules.

Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2023 Stream – How to Watch

The Group Stage matches will start from 05:30 PT / 08:30 ET / 14:30 CEST on July 26. You can tune in to the games in these streams –

• Twitch – Stream 1
• Twitch – Stream 2
• YouTube – Stream 1
• YouTube – Stream 2

Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2023 – List of Teams 

Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2023 will feature 24 teams from worldwide. Alongside groups with a high ESL World Ranking, we will see the participation of squads who did well at IEM Katowice 2023, ESL Pro League Season 17, IEM Rio, BLAST Major, IEM Dallas and Meisterschaft.

Out of the 24 teams, 16 squads will be competing in the Play-In stage, while eight teams have already secured spots in the Group Stage. 

Play-In Teams

• MOUZ
• Apeks
• 9INE
• FURIA Esports
• Team Liquid
• Imperial Esports
• The MongolZ
• Grayhound Gaming
• Fnatic
• Monte
• Ninjas in Pyjamas
• Astralis
• Into The Breach
• Complexity Gaming
• OG
• BIG

Group Stage Qualified Teams

• G2 Esports
• FaZe Clan
• Team Vitality
• ENCE
• Heroic
• Cloud9
• Natus Vincere
• GamerLegion

Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2023 – Prize 

Prize pool – USD 1,000,000

• 1st – $400,000
• 2nd – $180,000
• 3rd – 4th – $80,000
• 5th – 6th – $40,000
• 7th – 8th – $24,000
• 9th – 12th – $16,000
• 13th – 16th – $10,000
• 17th – 20th – $4,500
• 21st – 24th – $2,500

The winner of this event will directly qualify for IEM Katowice 2024.

Credit: IEM

Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2023 – Format

The 2023 IEM Cologne will start with the Play-In stage, where 16 teams will compete in a double-elimination bracket. The top 8 squads from the Play-In stage will move forward to the Group Stage to meet the rest of the 8 waiting rosters. While the opening matches of the Play-In stage will be Bo1s, the rest of them will be Bo3s.

After the Play-In games, the Group Stage matches will commence, with two groups consisting of 16 teams in total. The bracket of the Group Stage will be in double-elimination GSL format, and the top 3 teams from each group will move forward to the Playoffs – total 6 squads. All matches of the Group Stage, including the opening encounters, will be Bo3s. 

The Playoffs will take place in a single elimination bracket where a single loss will be the end of the journey for the participating squads. All matches of this stage are Bo3, except for the Bo5 Grand Final.

Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2023 – Schedule

The Play-In matches will kick off on Wednesday, July 26, with eight teams qualifying for the Group Stage starting July 29. Six teams from the Group Stage will secure Playoffs that will start on August 4. In total, this tournament will give us 12 days of exciting matches. 

Play-In

Day 1, Wednesday, July 26

• MOUZ 22 – 19 The MongolZ – 05:30 PT / 08:30 ET / 14:30 CEST
• Into The Breach 5 – 16 Ninjas in Pyjamas – 05:30 PT / 08:30 ET / 14:30 CEST
• Fnatic 19 – 17 Complexity – 06:45 PT / 09:45 ET / 15:45 CEST
• OG 17 – 19 9INE – 06:45 PT / 09:45 ET / 15:45 CEST
• Monte 16 – 9 Imperial – 08:00 PT / 11:00 ET / 17:00 CEST
• Astralis 16 – 10 Liquid – 08:00 PT / 11:00 ET / 17:00 CEST
• Apeks 16 – 10 BIG – 09:15 PT / 12:15 ET / 18:15 CEST
• Grayhound 11 – 16 FURIA – 09:15 PT / 12:15 ET / 18:15 CEST
• MOUZ 2 – 0 Ninjas in Pyjamas – 10:30 PT / 13:30 ET / 19:30 CEST
• Fnatic 2 – 0 9INE – 10:30 PT / 13:30 ET / 19:30 CEST

Day 2, Thursday, July 27

• Astralis 2 – 1 Apeks – 03:30 PT / 06:30 ET / 12:30 CEST
• Into the Breach 0 – 2 The MongolZ – 03:30 PT / 06:30 ET / 12:30 CEST
• Liquid 2 – 1 BIG – 07:00 PT / 10:00 ET / 16:00 CEST
• Imperial 2 – 1 Grayhound – 07:00 PT / 10:00 ET / 16:00 CEST
• Monte 2 – 1 FURIA – 10:30 PT / 13:30 ET / 19:30 CEST
• Complexity 0 – 2 OG – 10:30 PT / 13:30 ET / 19:30 CEST

Day 3, Friday, July 28

• The MongolZ 2 – 0  FURIA – 07:00 PT / 10:00 ET / 16:00 CEST
• 9INE 2 – 1 Liquid – 07:00 PT / 10:00 ET / 16:00 CEST
• Apeks 0 – 2 OG – 10:30 PT / 13:30 ET / 19:30 CEST
• Imperial 1 – 2 Ninjas in Pyjamas – 10:30 PT / 13:30 ET / 19:30 CEST

Group Stage

Day 4, Saturday, July 29

• Cloud9 1 – 2 Fnatic – 03:30 PT / 06:30 ET / 12:30 CEST
• GamerLegion 0 – 2 Monte – 03:30 PT / 06:30 ET / 12:30 CEST
• G2 2 – 1 Astralis – 07:00 PT / 10:00 ET / 16:00 CEST
• ENCE 2 – 1 9INE – 07:00 PT / 10:00 ET / 16:00 CEST
• Heroic 2 – 1 The MongolZ – 10:30 PT / 13:30 ET / 19:30 CEST
• NAVI 0 – 2 MOUZ – 10:30 PT / 13:30 ET / 19:30 CEST

Day 5, Sunday, July 30

• Vitality 2 – 0 OG – 03:30 PT / 06:30 ET / 12:30 CEST
• Cloud9 2 – 1 9INE – 03:30 PT / 06:30 ET / 12:30 CEST
• FaZe 2 – 1 Ninjas in Pyjamas – 07:00 PT / 10:00 ET / 16:00 CEST
• Fnatic 0 – 2 ENCE – 07:00 PT / 10:00 ET / 16:00 CEST
• Monte 0 – 2 Heroic – 10:30 PT / 13:30 ET / 19:30 CEST
• GamerLegion 2 – 1 The MongolZ – 10:30 PT / 13:30 ET / 19:30 CEST

Day 6, Monday, July 31

• MOUZ 0 – 2 Vitality – 03:30 PT / 06:30 ET / 12:30 CEST
• Astralis 2 – 0 Ninjas in Pyjamas – 03:30 PT / 06:30 ET / 12:30 CEST
• NAVI 2 – 1 OG – 07:00 PT / 10:00 ET / 16:00 CEST
• G2 2 – 0 FaZe – 07:00 PT / 10:00 ET / 16:00 CEST
• GamerLegion 2 – 1 Fnatic – 10:30 PT / 13:30 ET / 19:30 CEST
• Cloud9 2 – 0 Monte – 10:30 PT / 13:30 ET / 19:30 CEST

Day 7, Tuesday, August 1

• FaZe 0 – 2 NAVI – 03:30 PT / 06:30 ET / 12:30 CEST
• MOUZ 0 – 2 Astralis – 03:30 PT / 06:30 ET / 12:30 CEST
• Cloud9 2 – 1 GamerLegion – 07:00 PT / 10:00 ET / 16:00 CEST
• Vitality 1 – 2 G2 – 07:00 PT / 10:00 ET / 16:00 CEST
• NAVI 1 – 2 Astralis – 10:30 PT / 13:30 ET / 19:30 CEST
• ENCE 2 – 1 Heroic – 10:30 PT / 13:30 ET / 19:30 CEST

Playoffs

Day 8, Friday, August 4

• Cloud9 0 – 2 Vitality – 06:30 PT / 09:30 ET / 15:30 CEST
• Heroic 0 – 2 Astralis – 10:00 PT / 13:00 ET / 19:00 CEST

Day 9, Saturday, August 5

• ENCE 2 – 1 Vitality – 06:30 PT / 09:30 ET / 15:30 CEST
• G2 2 – 0 Astralis – 10:00 PT / 13:00 ET / 19:00 CEST

Day 10, Sunday, August 6

• ENCE 1 – 3 Vitality – 07:00 PT / 10:00 ET / 16:00 CEST

Keep an eye on ESTNN to get previews on every match of Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2023  and also on future Counter-Strike tournaments!