The “Cathedral of Counter-Strike” is all set up for the return of IEM Cologne, and all the top teams are coming together to crown a champion.
Cologne, Germany, is a special place in the hearts of CS2 fans. Since 2014, the tournament has drawn just as many eyes as Valve Majors, sometimes even doubling as a Major itself. It’s one of the most prestigious trophies in esports history, and all of HLTV’s top 16 teams plus eight more will be gunning for the podium. This year’s installment will feature a 16-team play-in stage followed by multiple brackets to eventually determine the new kings of Counter-Strike 2.
Before the event kicks off in Cologne, Germany, on July 23, 2025, here’s everything fans should know about the teams, format, prize pool, and favorites for IEM Cologne 2025.
All teams competing at IEM Cologne 2025
Here are all the teams attending IEM Cologne 2025. Direct invites are bolded and will automatically start in the group stage.
- Team Vitality
- MOUZ
- Team Spirit
- Team Falcons
- The MongolZ
- Aurora Gaming
- G2 Esports
- Natus Vincere
- GamerLegion
- FaZe Clan
- Astralis
- 3DMAX
- HEROIC
- Team Liquid
- Virtus.pro
- FURIA
- Complexity
- TYLOO
- MIBR
- B8
- Ninjas in Pyjamas
- BIG
- paiN Gaming
- FlyQuest
Invites to Cologne are based on Valve Regional Standings, with the top eight teams qualifying directly to the group stage. The next 16 teams will compete in a play-in stage.
IEM Cologne format explained
IEM Cologne will use a three-stage format starting with play-ins, then advancing to the group stage, and ending with the playoffs.
The play-in stage, which begins on July 23, 2025, features 16 teams in a double-elimination bracket. The top eight teams, four from winners and four from losers, will advance to the main event. This means teams can secure a spot in the cathedral in as little as two victories. Each match will be best-of-three.
Image Credit: ESL
From there, the eight play-in qualifiers will move to the group stage, where they will square off against the direct invites. The Cologne group stage marks the start of the main event. Teams will be seeded according to either their VRS ranking or performance in the play-ins. Group A and Group B will be entirely separate for this preliminary round.
Finally, the top four teams from each group will advance to the playoffs, which will be held live in Lanxess Arena. Here, the format will shift from double to single-elimination, making every match count. The grand final will also shift to best-of-five, taking place on August 3.
$1 million up for grabs including $400,000 for first place
IEM Cologne is not only one of the most prestigious Counter-Strike events, but it’s also one of the most lucrative.
Here’s how this year’s prize pool breaks down:
- 1st Place: $400,000
- 2nd Place: $180,000
- 3rd-4th Place: $80,000 each
- 5th-6th Place: $40,000 each
- 7th-8th Place: $24,000 each
- 9th-12th Place: $16,000 each
- 13th-16th Place: $10,000 each
- 17th-20th Place: $4,500 each
- 21st-24th Place: $2,500 each
Who are the favorites to win IEM Cologne 2025?
Team Vitality is the solid favorite to triumph at IEM Cologne 2025, but a few other teams are in the running to win.
Vitality is entering Cologne as the obvious team of the year, winning seven of eight top-tier offline events in 2025. The squad looks unstoppable, and the combination of Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut on the AWP and Robin “ropz” Kool on rifles makes it the clear king of buy rounds.
Image Credit: Team Vitality
Still, there is the possibility that MOUZ or The Mongolz could put a stop to Vitality’s phenomenal run. Both squads took important games off the juggernaut during the Austin Major, and both enter Cologne as direct invites. Team Falcons is streaky, but the squad pushed Vitality to game five at both IEM Melbourne and BLAST Rivals Spring just a few months ago. Spirit also enters as a dark horse, and Danil “donk” Kryshkovets is sure to put up highlights regardless of results.
Even with other teams hot on its tail, Vitality remains the clear favorite to take the crown at IEM Cologne.
