Details on ESL Pro Tour 2025, the world’s premier Counter-Strike 2 circuit, are now revealed
October 18, 2024, Cologne/New York: ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), the leading esports and video game entertainment company, today unveiled details on the latest installment of its renowned Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) circuit, ESL Pro Tour (EPT) 2025. The programming integrates multiple professional ESL CS2 tournaments into a cohesive and sustainable ecosystem, providing premier competition opportunities to fans, teams, and partners around the world.
EPT will see a financial contribution of 11M+ USD annually towards teams and players participating in the circuit. This annual contribution to teams and players comes on top of our hospitality spend included in each event, which will continue to feature top-of-the-line accommodation, flights, practice setups, and on-site hospitality. Additionally, teams will continue the Intel® Grand Slam race for a chance to claim the 1M USD cash prize. The complete breakdown of the contribution will be revealed soon.
“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,” said Marc Winther, Director Game Ecosystems – Counter-Strike, at ESL FACEIT Group. “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.”
EFG will enter the latest season of the EPT following a historic 2024 for the world’s leading CS2 program. With hundreds of thousands of fans worldwide attending competitions across six countries, ESL CS2 tournaments sold out arenas across the globe and generated over 140M* hours watched. This year marked IEM’s triumphant return to China, the celebration of the 100th IEM event in Dallas, and the most-watched IEM Cologne with more than 1M peak viewers for the Grand Finals.
The ESL Pro Tour for Counter-Strike 2025 Circuit
With Valve’s updated operational guidelines for Counter-Strike esports in 2025, the EPT structure has been remodeled to meet the requirements. While aligning with the new requirements, EPT remains true to its core values and competitive spirit, ensuring that fans and players continue to experience the highest level of competition. More information on the upcoming changes is available here.
ESL Pro Tour Championships
EPT Championships are the pinnacle of the ecosystem, taking place twice a year. Featuring the 24 best teams from around the world, this is where the ultimate Champions are crowned and history is written. EPT Championships for 2025 include:
- ESL Pro Tour Winter Championship
- Intel® Extreme Masters (IEM) Katowice 2025
- January 29-February 9 / Katowice, Poland
- The final three days of the competition will take place in front of a live audience in the iconic Spodek Arena.
- The ticket sale starts on October 22, 2024 3pm CEST. Additional details like ticket types and prizes can be found here.
- During the three live competition days, the event will be accompanied by the IEM Expo, taking place at the International Congress Center (MCK) in Katowice. The leading esports-centric and tech tradeshow will give esports and gaming enthusiasts an opportunity to enjoy additional activities, try out the latest in gaming and tech, and more.
- ESL Pro Tour Summer Championship
- Intel® Extreme Masters (IEM) Cologne 2025
- July 23-August 3 / Cologne, Germany
- The final three days of the competition will be hosted live in the legendary LANXESS arena
- The ticket sale starts on October 24, 2024 3pm CEST. Additional details like ticket types and prizes can be found here.
ESL Pro Tour Masters
EPT Masters competitions are the backbone of the ecosystem, top-tier competitors from around the globe battle it out on international stages to prove themselves in the race to be high enough in standings to make the EPT Championships each season. Masters-level IEM tournaments will see 16 teams competing, whereas ESL Pro League (EPL) will see 24 teams. From 2025, all EPT Masters matches will be played in a best-of-three series, except the Grand Final, which is best-of-five. More details, including locations and ticket sales, will be announced at a later date.
- ESL Pro League Season 21:
- February 25-March 16 / Europe
- IEM Spring 2025:
- April 21-27 / Location to be announced.
- IEM Dallas 2025:
- May 19-25 / Dallas, Texas, USA
- ESL Pro League Season 22:
- September 23-October 12 / Europe
- IEM Chengdu 2025:
- November 3-9 / Chengdu, China
Grassroots Competitions
New and aspiring Counter-Strike 2 squads from select regions can start their competitive journeys, develop their skills, and climb the ladder via ESEA Leagues hosted on the FACEIT platform.
Additional details about the remaining EPT competitions in 2025 will be announced at a later date.
Visit the official website for more information about the ESL Pro Tour for Counter-Strike, and follow ESL CS on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
For more general information, check out eslfaceitgroup.com or follow ESL FACEIT Group on LinkedIn.
*Based on data from escharts.com
About ESL FACEIT Group
ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) is the leading esports and video game entertainment company dedicated to creating worlds beyond gameplay where players and fans become community. EFG is built on a legacy of world-renowned brands including ESL, FACEIT, and DreamHack, providing innovative ecosystems for global communities of players, fans and creators around the games they love. Working alongside leading partners, brands and global IPs, EFG operates an unmatched portfolio of live events, digital platforms and developer tools that reach and engage millions of gamers worldwide. For more information visit www.eslfaceitgroup.com.
About ESL
ESL creates a world where everybody can be somebody. For more than two decades, we have been shaping the industry and leading esports and gaming innovation globally across the most popular video games, creating a comprehensive ecosystem with opportunities for players to go from zero to hero and for fans to witness the best stories esports has to offer. The ESL portfolio consists of high-profile products such as the ESL Pro Tour, Intel® Extreme Masters, the Snapdragon Pro Series, and many more, ranging from grassroots to global elite competitions. ESL is part of ESL FACEIT Group, the leading esports and video game entertainment company.
About the ESL Pro Tour
The ESL Pro Tour combines multiple ESL tournaments from various game titles, including Counter-Strike, Dota 2, and StarCraft® II into dedicated circuits that build toward grand championships each year. The overarching structure for both global and regional competitions provides aspiring players from all levels a consistent and clear path from “zero to hero,” a more compelling story to follow for existing Counter-Strike, Dota 2, and StarCraft® II fans, and a more transparent structure for new esports fans (https://pro.eslgaming.com/tour/).
