ESL removes BO1 format from IEM Cologne 2024

25-7-2024 16:48

The matches that were originally planned as BO1 games will now be BO3 series.

The Play-In stage will feature BO3 series only

ESL has announced that it has removed the best-of-one format from IEM Cologne 2024, citing "player and community feedback" as the reason for this change.

The first round of the Play-In stage was to feature best-of-one games, but they have now been replaced by best-of-three series. The match format will continue throughout the main tournament, except for the best-of-five grand final.

The change has been welcomed by many community figures, with analyst Janko "⁠YNk⁠" Paunović among those who have publicly supported the decision.

"Awesome news! You definitely don't want to see BO1s in a tournament of Cologne's stature," YNk wrote on X.

"If only we got rid of them at the Majors…"

The Play-In stage is slated to begin August 7, with 16 teams vying for eight spots in the next stage. Spirit, FaZe and G2 are among the eight teams that have already booked spots in the group stage, which will kick off August 10.

2024-07-25 16:49

316

1 reply

RMR next

2024-07-25 18:43

103

THAT IS A FUCKING W

105

8 team playoffs and we cooking

197

3 replies

6 team playoffs are the biggest ESL L of them all

2024-07-25 17:13

2 replies

ES L

2024-07-25 18:15

real, that's the worst thing to ever happen to tournaments

2024-07-25 19:54

4 replies

Ratio

2024-07-25 17:33

Bo3 >> Bo1, especially with MR12

2024-07-25 18:50

Yep. MR12 itself is bad and MR12 BO1 is just horrible.

2024-07-26 18:02

Bro legit got ratioed on hltv

2024-07-26 10:11

Big

Finally someone with a brain there

2024-07-25 16:50

about time, bo1s should not be a thing in tier 1 competition

HUGE

I LOVE THIS

So it was possible the whole time.. I always thought scheduling reasons were behind the bo1. The feedback for this being shit was there for years.. Well better late than never i guess

2024-07-25 16:51

8 replies

Remember MR15 has 25% more rounds

2024-07-25 17:28

7 replies

what does it have to do with it? BO1 MR12 was in Sydney, Kato and Dallas already.

2024-07-25 17:32

6 replies

3 maps with MR15 is the same length as 3.75 maps with MR12, say .75 maps is ~25 minutes and you have 4 BO3s a day, that's almost 2 hours more so I'd say scheduling was a valid reason

2024-07-25 17:44

yes, but as we can clearly see, the scheduling can be worked around if there is a will. They just didnt want to do it before probably due to convinience. That was my initial point.

2024-07-25 17:47

Can be worked around when matches take less time now than before Didn't want to do it because matches took longer before than now

2024-07-25 17:51

#64 The shorter matches already were in place for at least three tourneys before. But as a guy in #78 says, its just probably a corporate thing of changes taking too long to implement.

2024-07-25 17:53

can't link the twit they made with cs2 release, but they basically said they were contemplating the possibility to do it but they needed time to evaluate the m12 bo1 with their format before making changes

2024-07-25 18:00

They were remnants of the old format, change takes time

2024-07-25 17:52

Sigma ESL

finally

We have a similar discussion in hltv.org/forums/threads/2916776/no-more-..

Best news of 2024 so far.

common ESL W

2024-07-25 16:52

Fucking W

At least someone is there who listens to community .

Clowns will still cry when their favorite teams will be losing these bo3s

2024-07-25 16:53

This is why ESL run tourneys are the GOAT tourneys. This should be the norm

Wpixel

awesome

2024-07-25 16:54

huge w

Finally

Common ESL W

2024-07-25 16:56

Praise the lord

EWC2024: Loser's Round is Bo1 IEM Cologne: remove Bo1 and make it all Bo3

2024-07-25 16:57

halleluja whoever cooked this is a 10 star michelin

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

2024-07-25 16:58

if most reputable tournaments eliminate BO1's and S-tier tournaments go for BO5 finals then I can see this MR12 thing working out.

2024-07-25 16:59

BIG W

2024-07-25 17:00

I thought that was from the beginning idea behind change from mr15 to mr12, it is being changed way too late, however better late than never ;) Hope to see same for other T1 tournaments!

L, won't be many surprises

the teams that prepare well across potentially three maps, will surprise, and deservedly so. no more bs surprises*

2024-07-26 13:52

W change

2024-07-25 17:02

extremely rare W, holy moly

Finally Now remove them from majors.

2024-07-25 17:03

2024-07-25 17:05

2024-07-25 17:07

Good

2024-07-25 17:10

2024-07-25 17:11

2024-07-25 17:15

v.big W

2024-07-25 17:16

MASSIVE W Clap

As it should be! massive W.

2024-07-25 17:19

Epic move

2024-07-25 17:20

FINALLY.

2024-07-25 17:25

POGGERS BIG W EYO

2024-07-25 17:30

W for cologne

2024-07-25 17:34

thank god

2024-07-25 17:40

AWESOME. Now make normal groups and cs will finally be able to be the best esport to watch

i think this is a good move

2024-07-25 17:45

W change.. every tournament should be like that

2024-07-25 17:46

2024-07-25 17:49

W , should've been implemented earlier due to mr12 ;)

2024-07-25 17:59

Huge W Btw how the fuck is major still b01s lmaooo it's fucking 2024.

Maybe time constrains? I have no idea, I think if they would make all matches BO3 (with maybe a BO5 final) it would only mean 1 or 2 days extra, which isn't much for a...three week tournament.

2024-07-25 18:04

Ofc bro, are u telling me that a billionaire company dont have the money to make the tournament last 2-3 more days?

2024-07-25 18:07

I have no idea. I have also always thought that all the matches from Major should be BO3.

2024-07-25 18:08

They either are casual or they just want b01 cuz it's more likely to an upset to happen.

2024-07-25 18:10

WWWW

2024-07-25 18:01

finally!

2024-07-25 18:13

Now we can be tired 1 and a half map in

2024-07-25 18:22

2024-07-25 18:28

Common W from Esl they should use this in majors asap

2024-07-25 18:31

2024-07-25 18:49

bring back mr15 and bo3

this is such a good step to take, thank you ESL plz cont to do this

good, mr12 bo1 should be illegal

2024-07-25 19:07

Hell yeah

2024-07-25 19:11

Huuuge W, I hope the final will be BO5

2024-07-25 19:23

It's Cologne, there's no way it won't be Best of 5

2024-07-25 21:59

good no more tier 3 anti stratting for a map

2024-07-25 19:29

Ah finally some sensible change.

2024-07-25 19:31

2024-07-25 19:36

Such a huge W i cant even be sad no more

2024-07-25 19:42

OUTSTANDING change, bo1 mr12 makes no sense whatsoever.

2024-07-25 19:50

FINALLY!!!!!!!!! best thing since the starladder bo3 swiss group opening format

2024-07-25 20:15

Good thing, especially for FaZe :)

MR12 BO1 shouldn't even exist W ESL

2024-07-25 20:57

MR12 BO1 absolute brainrot, glad ESL had the decency to get rid of it

2024-07-25 21:02

finally no more flukes

2024-07-25 21:07

great change, but this is just a bad take, you beat your opponent in any conditions if youre better, if you lose, you simply wasnt good enough that time

2024-07-25 21:46