Eight teams will directly enter the main event, while another 16 will battle through the Play-in stage.
ESL has confirmed the invite list for the 2024 IEM Cologne today. The tournament will feature 24 teams competing for a $1 million prize pool from August 7th to 18th.
Similar to the previous two IEM Cologne events, this year’s edition will also determine eight spots in the main event through the Play-in phase.
Four teams have been directly invited to the main event due to their victories in major tournaments this year. MOUZ secured their spot as EPL S19 champions, while FaZe and Spirit earned invites after winning in Chengdu and Katowice, respectively. G2’s invitation came after triumphing at IEM Dallas.
The remaining four spots in the main event belong to Vitality, Natus Vincere, Astralis, and Virtus.pro, who qualified via ESL rankings and will bypass the Play-in stage.
Out of the 24 teams, only one spot remains open. The final slot will be determined by the German Open Qualifier, which begins on June 11th.
