IEM Cologne 2022 is fast approaching and the latest Intel Extreme Masters event will once again see a host of top CSGO teams participating.
ESL has announced the caster line-up (featuring plenty of UK talent) and more info, which we’ve detailed in our preview below.
IEM Cologne 2022 dates, prize pool and key info
The Cathedral of Counter-Strike is again ready to welcome fans and players as it stands to host Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Cologne 2022.
Starting July 5th, 24 of the world’s best Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO) teams will battle it out for their share of the $1m total prize pool, and one of the most prestigious titles of the CSGO scene.
The tournament’s final stage takes place at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany, where fans can watch the top six teams play live on stage from July 15th to 17th.
IEM Cologne 2022 marks the sixth time that ESL Gaming returns to the Lanxess Arena. With the two latest editions taking place online and in a studio environment, it’s ESL Gaming’s first live event of this scale in Germany in almost three years.
Apart from being crowned champions of IEM Cologne 2022 and taking home a big chunk of the prize pool, the winning team will also earn a title in the race to the Intel Grand Slam IV.
With a $1m cash prize at stake, the first team to win three ESL Pro Tour (EPT) Masters tournaments and one EPT Championship tournament (IEM Katowice, IEM Cologne, or ESL-operated CSGO Majors) inside a span of ten consecutive events, will mark their era in CSGO history.
IEM Cologne 2022 casters and broadcast talent
There is an abundance of CSGO esports casting talent out there, and IEM Cologne viewers will once again see some big names on board, as well as some rising stars, several of which are from the UK.
The line-up features British stage host OJ Borg (who was also recently announced as host for a new show for the UK armed forces), as well as desk host Veracity, who recently hosted the ESL Impact women’s CSGO finals.
Belgian esports star Sjokz is also on board as a desk host, as is US talent stunna.
Other UK talent on board include interviewers Freya Spiers and James Banks, stadium experience host Pala, and casters Machine, JustHarry, Hugo Byron, Dinko, Hawka and TheEternalJay.
The full list of IEM Cologne 2022 broadcast talent can be found in the below tweet:
IEM Cologne 2022 teams and format
The 16 play-in stage teams enter a double-elimination bracket from July 5th 2022.
From there, the top eight teams will join eight already qualified teams in the group stage. Then, the teams will be divided into two groups as they make their way through a best-of-three double elimination bracket that will see the three best teams of each group proceed to the playoffs.
Among the participating teams are the entirely German squad representing Berlin International Gaming (BIG), and renowned German organisations Mouz and Sprout. They are joined by last year’s title holder Natus Vincere (Navi), IEM Katowice 2022 winners FaZe Clan, the recent IEM Dallas winners Cloud9 and many others.
The eight directly qualified teams are:
- Cloud9
- Ence
- FaZe Clan
- Furia
- G2
- Navi
- NiP
- Team Liquid
The 16 play-ins teams are:
- 00 Nation
- Astralis
- BIG
- Complexity
- Heroic
- Imperial
- MIBR
- Movistar
- Mouz
- Order
- Outsiders
- Pain Gaming
- Sprout
- Team Spirit
- Tyloo
- Vitality
IEM Cologne 2022: Where to Watch
In-person: The playoffs will be played in front of a live audience on the stage of the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany, with fans able to watch the best-of-three quarter-finals and semi-finals and best-of-five final in person.
Tickets start from €34 for a day ticket or €94 for a three-day pass. A €299 premium pass will also include a goodie bag, free drinks, premium seating and more. You can grab tickets to IEM Cologne 2022 here.
Online: The competition can be watched on ESL Gaming’s CSGO Twitch channels.
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
