ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) has unveiled exciting plans for its 2025 ESL Pro Tour. The upcoming tour will feature five stops for Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) and two events for ESL Pro League. Notably, EFG has committed to providing over $22 million in financial support over the next two years to benefit the teams and players taking part in the circuit, along with covering hospitality expenses.
In 2025, we can look forward to the highly anticipated return of ESL’s two most renowned events: IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne. These events represent the pinnacle of competition within the ESL Pro Tour, as they are the only Championship-level tournaments scheduled for the year.
Despite concerns about the ESL Pro League’s future, EFG confirms the competition’s return next year with two more editions in Europe. Additionally, three Masters-level IEM stops are scheduled in Dallas, Chengdu, and an undisclosed city.
List of ESL events
- IEM Katowice – January 29-February 9
- IEM Cologne – July 23-August 3
- ESL Pro League 21 – February 25-March 16 (Location is yet to be determined)
- IEM Spring – April 21-27 (Location is yet to be determined)
- IEM Dallas – May 19-25
- ESL Pro League 22 – September 23-October 12 (Location is yet to be determined)
- IEM Chengdu – November 3-9
ESL shared more event specifics, including format, slot distribution, and qualifiers. The ESL Pro League will feature 24 teams, down from 32, and will use a Major-like format with two Swiss stages.
The EPT for Counter-Strike 2 is the definition of EFG’s commitment to fostering a fruitful competitive environment and continually nourishing Counter-Strike’s heritage, as we’ve done since 2000. With a circuit that spans multiple continents and integrates diverse levels of competition, we are excited to further fuel opportunities for world-class teams and passionate fans alike.
Marc Winther, Director Game Ecosystems – Counter-Strike, at ESL FACEIT Group
ESL has made a notable change in the selection process for participating teams. Instead of relying mostly on qualifiers, they will now use the Valve Regional Standings to determine all participants of IEM Katowice, Spring, Cologne, and Chengdu. Qualifiers will only be held for IEM Dallas and the two Pro League seasons, accounting for about half of the field.
EFG has confirmed the dates (August 20-24) for next year’s Esports World Cup, marking another exciting event on the calendar. The tournament organizer has also teased that more information about the event, including specifics about the $22 million financial contribution, will be revealed at a later date.
ESL Official Announcement
Event Schedule For 2025
- January 13-26 – BLAST Bounty
- January 29-February 9 – IEM Katowice
- February 13-23 – PGL Buenos Aires
- February 13-23 – Skyesports Souvenir
- February 25-March 16 – ESL Pro League 21
- March 17-30 – BLAST Open Lisbon
- April 3-13 – PGL Bucharest
- April 15-20 – YaLLa Compass Spring
- April 21-27 – IEM Spring
- April 28-May 4 – BLAST Rivals
- May 8-18 – PGL Astana
- May 19-25 – IEM Dallas
- May 26-June 1 – StarLadder StarSeries S19
- May 26-June 1 – Skyesports Masters
- June 9-22 – BLAST Austin Major
- July 23-August 3 – IEM Cologne
- August 4-17 – BLAST Bounty
- August 20-24 – Unannounced ESL event
- August 25-September 7 – BLAST Open London
- September 13-21 – StarLadder StarSeries S20
- September 15-21 – Skyesports Championship
- September 23-October 12 – ESL Pro League 22
- October 1-October 13 – CS Asia Championships
- October 23-November 2 – PGL Belgrade
- November 3-9 – IEM Chengdu
- November 10-13 – Skyesports World Tour
- November 10-16 – BLAST Rivals
- November 18-23 – YaLLa Compass Fall
- December 1-14 – Second Major
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