IEM Cologne 2024: Teams, Format, Stream and More

IEM Cologne 2023 was a celebration of everything CS:GO. The event was the last time we saw the venerable game in a massive arena. But now we are well into the CS2 generation. m0NESY, donk, and ZywOo run the show, and all of them want to come out of the player break with a win at IEM Cologne 2024.

The tournament will feature 24 teams. Most teams will compete in the initial play-in stage, while eight teams have secured direct entry into the main event. Below is the list of all teams participating in IEM Cologne 2024.

The IEM Cologne 2024 will consist of three stages: the Play-In Stage, the Group Stage, and the Playoffs. The Play-In Stage serves as the final opportunity for teams to advance to the Group Stage, where the main event truly begins. Eight teams have already secured direct entry to the Group Stage and will bypass the Play-In Stage.

The Play-In Stage features a double-elimination bracket with all opening matches being best-of-one series. All subsequent matches are best-of-three to ensure fairness. Sixteen teams will start in the Play-In Stage, but only eight will advance.

These top eight teams from the Play-In Stage will join the eight pre-qualified teams in the Group Stage, where all matches are best-of-three series. Winners of the Group Stage will advance to the Semifinals. The runners-up will proceed as high seeds in the Quarterfinals, while the third-place teams will enter the Quarterfinals as low seeds.

The Playoffs are when teams and players get to experience the Lanxess Arena in its full glory. The Cathedral of Counter-Strike has hosted some of the most memorable games in CS:GO, with 2022's Final between NaVi and FaZe Clan is considered perhaps the best match of CS:GO ever played. Now it's CS2's turn to make the Cathedral its own. The Playoffs is a single-elimination bracket where all matches are Bo3 save for the Bo5 Grand Finals.

The IEM Cologne 2024 matches can be watched on ESL's official Twitch or YouTube accounts. Or you can stay right here and watch it on the embedded stream below.

IEM Cologne 2024 kicks off on August 7, with the Play-in stage, moving into the LANXESS Arena on Augst 16. Stay tuned to esports.gg for the latest CS:GO news and updates.