By Sagar Mankar 
ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), a leading esports tournament organizer, announced major changes to its upcoming Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) circuit – the ESL Pro Tour (EPT) for the year 2025.
This updated tour integrates several top-tier ESL CS2 tournaments, creating a unified and open competition system aligned with updated Valve’s CS2 rules.
What’s New in the ESL Pro Tour 2025?
The ESL Pro Tour 2025 categorizes its premier events into two main types as follows:
Two “Championship” events:
- IEM Katowice
- IEM Cologne
Five “Masters” competitions:
- ESL Pro League Seasons 21 and 22
- IEM Dallas
- IEM Chengdu
- IEM Spring (location TBA)
Full ESL Pro Tour (EPT) Calender for 2025
Championship:
1. IEM Katowice 2025 (January 29 – February 9, 2025, Poland)
- Final three days at the Spodek Arena
- Tickets on sale October 22, 2024
- Coincides with the IEM Expo at the International Congress Center (MCK)
2. IEM Cologne 2025 (July 23 – August 3, 2025, Germany)
- Final three days at the LANXESS arena
- Tickets on sale October 22, 2024
Masters:
- ESL Pro League Season 21 (February 25 – March 16, 2025, Europe)
- IEM Spring 2025 (April 21-27, 2025, location TBA)
- IEM Dallas 2025 (May 19-25, 2025, Dallas, Texas)
- ESL Pro League Season 22 (September 23 – October 12, 2025, Europe)
- IEM Chengdu 2025 (November 3-9, 2025, Chengdu, China)
What Changes Can We Expect in the Tournament Format?
EPT Masters competitions in 2025 will see some format adjustments:
- 24 teams competing in ESL Pro League (EPL) events
- All matches will be best-of-three series
- The Grand Finals will be best-of-five
A significant update for 2025 is the introduction of an open slot system, as per updated Valve’s guidelines for Counter-Strike 2 esports. This will allow both semi-professional and professional CS2 teams to enter regional qualifiers and potentially secure a spot in the main tournaments.
EFG also revealed plans to continue supporting grassroots esports competitions through ESEA Leagues, hosted on its FACEIT platform.
EFG Investing Big in CS2 Esports
EFG’s financial commitment to Counter-Strike 2 is another key highlight of the announcement. The company plans to invest over $22 million in the ecosystem across 2025 and 2026, which breaks down to $11 million annually.
This funding is meant to support the tournaments and enhance the overall experience for participating teams. It will cover various hospitality expenses, including accommodations, flights, and practice setups for players and teams at each event.
In addition to this, EFG will continue supporting the Intel Grand Slam competition, which offers a prize pool of $1 million each year. More details on how the funds will be distributed will announced soon.
About ESL FACEIT Group
It’s worth noting that EFG is a subsidiary of Savvy Games Group, which is owned by the Saudi government’s Public Investment Fund. The company’s board is chaired by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. EFG encompasses several major esports brands, including:
- ESL (tournament organizer)
- Esports Engine (focused on North America and the UK)
- FACEIT (competition platform)
- DreamHack (esports and gaming festival company)
For more information, visit the official ESL website. And remember to subscribe to Gaming Foodle for more news!
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