It’s time to return to the Cathedral of Counter-Strike. IEM Cologne kicks off today, with the Play-In stage that will see 16 teams fighting it out and looking to secure one of eight remaining slots in the main event that will follow.
With games happening imminently, we know the opening matches. The format for the Play-In is a double-elimination, meaning each team has one life before being knocked out of IEM Cologne entirely. The progression slots are handed out to the four teams that win two upper bracket matches, and also the four teams who survive the lower bracket as well. While we won’t know how these slots are ultimately arranged for a few days, the initial Play-In matches are scheduled as follows.
- FaZe Clan vs. BIG
- Team Liquid vs. PaiN Gaming
- 3DMAX vs. MiBR
- Ninjas in Pyjamas vs. Heroic
- GamerLegion vs. Complexity
- TYLOO vs. Virtus.pro
- Astralis vs. B8
- FlyQuest vs. Furia
In terms of the eight teams who have already qualified to the main group stage, they include:
- Team Vitality
- G2 Esports
- Team Falcons
- The MongolZ
- Mouz
- Natus Vincere
- Aurora Gaming
- Team Spirit
As per who the favourite is for the event, Team Vitality is the one to watch, as they are on a mega winning streak and are current leaders in the hunt for the next Intel Grand Slam.