IEM Cologne 2022 viewer's guide

IEM Cologne 2022 with a prize pool of $1 million will be held from July 5 to 17. The group stage kicks off on July 7, and will be preceded by the two-day Play-In qualifying stage.

The Play-In will see sixteen teams competing for eight spots in the group stage. The qualifier will be held in the Double Elimination format with best-of-one opening matches and best-of-threes for the rest of the meetings. The organizers will provide $28,000 of the total prize pool among eight teams that will not manage to reach the main stage of the tournament.

The Play-In stage participants:

 Heroic (cadiaN, stavn, TeSeS, sjuush, jabbi)
 Sprout (Spiidi, slaxz-, raalz, Staehr, lauNX)
 MOUZ (dexter, frozen, torzsi, Bymas, JDC)
 paiN (PKL, biguzera, hardzao, NEKIZ, nython)
 Team Spirit (chopper, magixx, Patsi, s1ren, w0nderful)
 Complexity (JT, floppy, Grim, junior, FaNg)
 00NATION (coldzera, try, TACO, latto, dumau)
 Astralis (Xyp9x, gla1ve, k0nfig, Farlig, blameF)
 BIG (tabseN, tiziaN, syrsoN, Krimbo, k1to)
 ORDER (Sico, INS, Hatz, aliStair, Liazz)
 Outsiders (FL1T, Qikert, Jame, n0rb3r7, fame)
 Imperial (fnx, FalleN, fer, boltz, VINI)
 MIBR (chelo, exit, Tuurtle, JOTA, brnz4n)
 Movistar Riders (mopoz, ALEX, DeathZz, SunPayus, dav1g)
 TYLOO (Summer, Attacker, SLOWLY, DANK1NG, BnTeT)
 Vitality (apEX, dupreeh, Magisk, ZywOo, misutaaa)

The seeding of teams in the Play-In bracket:

In the group stage, which will take place from July 7 to 10, sixteen participants will be divided into two groups, where they will play in the Double Elimination (GSL) best-of-three format. Three teams from each group will advance to the playoffs: the first one will go directly to the semifinals, the second one will advance to the high-seeded quarterfinals, while the squad to finish third will show up in the low-seeded quarterfinals.

The playoffs will take place on July 15-17 in the Single Elimination format. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be played in best-of-threes, with a best-of-five grand final.

The direct invitees to the group stage:

Group A

 NIP (es3tag, REZ, Brollan, Plopski, hampus)
 NAVI (s1mple, electroNic, Perfecto, b1t, sdy)
 G2 (JACKZ, NiKo, huNter-, Aleksib, m0NESY)
 ENCE (Snappi, Maden, dycha, hades, Spinx)

Group B

 FaZe (karrigan, rain, Twistzz, ropz, broky)
 Liquid (nitr0, NAF, EliGE, oSee, YEKINDAR)
 Cloud9 (HObbit, interz, Ax1Le, sh1ro, nafany)
 FURIA (arT, yuurih, KSCERATO, drop, saffee)

Prize fund distribution:

1. $400,000
2. $180,000
3-4. $80,000
5-6. $40,000
7-8. $24,000
9-12. $16,000
13-16. $10,000
17-20. $4,500
21-24. $2,500