The tournament operator ESL said it is considering holding the annual championship IEM Cologne 2023 on the version of Counter-Strike 2. The company is in no hurry to confirm such a decision since it is unclear what state the game will be in during the competition.

Switch to CS2

The transition of the legendary shooter from Valve to the Source 2 engine is planned for the summer of 2023, but the developers have yet to announce the exact release date. At the time of the publication of the material, CS2 was conducting a closed test, accessed by about 3% of CS:GO players. For testing Counter-Strike 2, only one map is available — Dust2.

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The tournament in Cologne will be the first tier-1 championship after the summer break on the professional scene, which may coincide with the official release date of CS2.

We're excited about the prospect of IEM Cologne 2023 potentially being the first global tier 1 tournament in Counter-Strike 2. We're cautiously optimistic because we want the game to be competitive enough for the pro scene by then. This is important for us at such a prestigious tournament in which we crown the best team in the world.

ESL

When will IEM Cologne 2023 be held?

IEM Cologne 2023 will be held from July 25 to August 6 in Cologne, Germany. The teams will draw a prize fund in the amount of one million dollars. In addition, the competition winner will receive a slot at IEM Katowice 2024.