Electronic Sports League (ESL) returns to Cologne to host their fourth in total $250,000 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament in cooperation with Valve Corporation. Total of sixteen top teams from all over the globe will be striving to conquer the biggest CS:GO title to date.

This tournament will use a new format for the group stage. As before, total of four groups will be made, each consisting of four teams, two legends and two challengers. In a best-of-one scenario, the top four teams from each group will move forward to the playoffs as usual, while the other remaining teams will be reassigned in a redrawn group in order to ensure that the teams will face different opponents than those in the first drawn. Again, the top two teams of each redrawn group will also secure a spot for the playoffs inside the Lanxess Arena.

The playoffs will run on the default best-of-three single elimination format, including the grand final of the championship.