CS2 IEM Cologne 2025 - Everything You Need To Know

Are you ready to see the 24 best teams in the world gathered to compete for the CS2 IEM Cologne 2025 title once again? Well, the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany, is most certainly excited to have them back and live up to its nickname - The Cathedral of Counter-Strike.

In this guide, we'll go over the most important dates for the IEM Cologne 2025 tournament, as well as the schedule, grand prize, and format!

CS2 IEM Cologne 2025 Dates & Schedule

The CS2 IEM Cologne 2025 will begin on August 1, 2025, and it'll continue until August 3, 2025, 8:30 PM CEST (UTC+2). Every morning, fans will get to enjoy the ESL shop and get some awesome merch before heading towards the outdoors area. Here's the full schedule:

August 1, 2025 (Friday)

ESL Shop Opens - 9:00 AM
Outdoor Area Opens - 12:00 PM
Lanxess Doors Open - 1:00 PM
Inside Arena Doors Open - 1:00 PM
Opening Ceremony - 3:30 PM
Quarter Final #1 (Bo3) - 3:45 PM
Quarter Final #2 (Bo3) - 7:00 PM
Outdoor Area Closes - 8:30 PM

August 2, 2025 (Saturday)

ESL Shop Opens - 10:00 AM
Outdoor Area Opens - 12:00 PM
Lanxess Doors Open - 1:00 PM
Inside Arena Doors Open - 1:30 PM
Opening Ceremony - 3:30 PM
Semi Final #1 (Bo3) - 3:45 PM
Semi Final #2 (Bo3) - 7:00 PM
Outdoor Area Closes - 8:30 PM

August 3, 2025 (Sunday)

ESL Shop Opens - 10:00 AM
Outdoor Area Opens - 12:00 PM
Lanxess Doors Open - 2:30 PM
Inside Arena Doors Open - 3:00 PM
Opening Ceremony - 4:45 PM
Grand Final (Bo5) - 5:00 PM
Outdoor Area Closes - 8:30 PM

Xplay Pick'Em Challenge Explained

Want to add another layer of excitement while you watch the CS2 IEM Cologne 2025? This is your chance to prove your CS2 expertise with CS2 Pick'Em on xplay.gg! Here's how it works:

Predict which teams will advance through each stage of the tournament. Make the right calls, and you can win awesome prizes. It's the perfect way to get more involved in the action and compete against friends and the community.

CS2 IEM Cologne 2025 Format

The format of CS2 IEM Cologne 2025 is simple: 2 Stages and Playoffs at the end - pretty standard, right? Well, we can't say the same about the prize money! The team that gets first place will receive $400,000 and a club reward of $60,000! Here are all the stages and what you can expect to see:

Stage 1

16-team Double-Elimination bracket
All matches Bo3
Top 8 teams advanced to Stage 2

Stage 2

2 x 8 team Double-Elimination brackets
All matches Bo3
Top 3 of each group advance to Playoffs
Group winners advance to the Semifinals
Group runners-up advance to the Quarterfinals as the High Seeds
Group 3rd-place teams advance to the Quarterfinals as the Low Seeds

Playoffs

6 team Single-Elimination bracket
Quarterfinals and Semifinals Bo3
Grand Final Bo5

If you're ready to start winning rewards for your Counter-Strike 2 experience and knowledge, make sure to click here. For more information about CS2, check out the following guides: