ESL alters qualification system for Cologne

ESL revamped the qualification system for the ESL One Cologne Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The decision comes on the heels of the ESL Pro League being split into two divisions: Europe and North America.

"With teams separated into regions and divisions of unequal strength as opposed to competing in global competitions, the performance of teams from different regions can no longer be compared reliably," per the ESL website. "Therefore, we will be giving the Europe, North America, Asia and Oceania regions slots in the Final 16 and Play-in and teams will be competing for those spots in regional rankings." The slot allocation for the ESL One Cologne Final 16 includes six teams from Europe and two from North America. The play-in competition, however, will include three each from Europe and North American and one apiece from Asia and Oceania.

Teams will retain their previous ESL Pro Tour ranking points and will continue to vie for qualification via ESL Pro League, DreamHack Masters Spring and ESL One: Road to Rio. ESL One Cologne is scheduled to take place from July 6-12.

--Field Level Media