In the early hours of this morning, ESL officially announced that ESL One Cologne 2020 will transition to an online format by region. This will be the first tournament held after the players’ summer break, and the announcement comes amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in countries like the USA, Russia, and Brazil, where lockdowns and travel restrictions are still in effect across many European nations.
According to ESL’s announcement, ESL One Cologne 2020 will take place from August 18 to 30 and will include 4 regions: Europe, Asia, North America, and Oceania, with a total prize pool of $500,000, down from the initially projected $1,000,000. The remaining $500,000 will be distributed into the prize pools for IEM Katowice and ESL One Cologne next year. A total of 32 teams will participate in this tournament, selected based on ESL’s ranking, including numerous top teams such as Na`vi, Astralis, Fnatic, G2 Esports, Vitality, and more.
ESL One Cologne is considered one of the largest and most prestigious tournaments of the year, having been held six times in history, with three occasions designated as a Major in 2014, 2015, and 2016. In previous years, ESL One Cologne was hosted at the LANXESS Arena, known as the “temple of CS:GO,” with a capacity of up to 20,000 people, always filled with enthusiastic fans supporting the world’s top teams as they competed.
Right after the announcement was made, the online community expressed its regrets as this was hoped to be the return of LAN tournaments after a series of online events in the first half of 2020, but also expressed support for ESL’s decision, prioritizing the safety of players and fans. Many are even concerned about the future of ESL One: Rio, the only Major this year, as it is only four months away and the pandemic situation in Brazil remains alarming with no positive signs. If ESL One: Rio is canceled or postponed again, 2020 will mark the first year in CS:GO history without a Major, which would be a significant loss for the CS:GO fan community worldwide, and particularly in Vietnam.