ESL One Cologne: Final Eight Teams Secure Spots in $1 Million Tournament
After three challenging days, the final eight teams have secured their spots in the highly anticipated ESL One Cologne major, which boasts a prize pool of $1 million.
A stacked field, consisting of EnVyUs, FaZe, mousesports, and Cloud9, among others, battled it out for the opportunity to participate in what can be considered the World Cup of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
FaZe and mousesports Dominate Qualifiers
FaZe and mousesports emerged as the big winners of the qualifiers, winning all three of the required games to secure their spots. In a departure from the standard group stage format, ESL introduced a “swiss format” for the first time in a CS:GO tournament. This format pits teams with similar win-loss records against each other, ensuring balanced match-ups.
New Rosters Make Their Debut
Several teams who competed in the recent Valve Major in Columbus also made it through the qualifiers. However, two new rosters, OpTic Gaming and Team Dignitas, have made their mark and will be competing in their first major. These teams have consistently impressed in recent months and are expected to give tough competition.
OpTic Gaming Shines with New Recruit
OpTic Gaming’s success has been particularly notable, thanks to the addition of new recruit Oscar “mixwell” Cañellas. With mixwell on board, the team has delivered solid performances against international teams, as evidenced by their 3-1 record in the ESL One Cologne qualifiers. This showcases their potential for growth as they prepare for their first-ever Valve Major.
Cloud9’s Disappointing Performance
While there have been new teams making waves, two notable teams will not be returning to the major: Splyce and Cloud9. It was expected that Splyce, who finished last at MLG Columbus, would not make it through the qualifiers. However, Cloud9’s failure is significant as it marks the first time the organization will not be represented at a Valve Major since its inception. Additionally, it will be the first time that the team’s franchise player, Jordan “n0thing” Gilbert, will not be attending a CS:GO major after participating in the previous eight events.
The ESL One Cologne major is set to take place from July 5-10.