Tournament operator ESL FACEIT Group has revealed details of seven CS 2 tournaments as part of the ESL Pro Tour 2025. Next year, two of the biggest events, IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne, will return, marking the only Championship-level tournaments, the highest competitive tier in the tour.
Despite the cancellation of partner leagues, the ESL Pro League will continue to be held twice a year in Europe. Masters-level tournaments will take place in Dallas, Chengdu, and one yet-to-be-announced city. Finals for all tournaments will follow the BO5 format, while the initial games will no longer be played in BO1 format.
ESL plans to invest over $11 million annually over the next two years to support the teams and players participating in ESL Pro Tour. This will be complemented by coverage of accommodation, travel, and training expenses at each event. Teams will also continue competing for the Intel Grand Slam prize of $1 million.
Key ESL Pro Tour 2025 Events:
- IEM Katowice — January 29 — February 9
- IEM Cologne — July 23 — August 3
Masters-Level Tournaments:
- ESL Pro League 21 — February 25 — March 16
- IEM Spring — April 21 — 27
- IEM Dallas — May 19 — 25
- ESL Pro League 22 — September 23 — October 12
- IEM Chengdu — November 3 — 9
The ESL Pro League format has been revised: 24 teams will now participate instead of 32, with the tournament adopting a format similar to majors, including two stages with a Swiss system. ESL has also shifted away from qualification tournaments, relying on Valve’s regional rankings to determine participants for most events.
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