ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) revealed first details on the ESL Pro Tour (EPT) for Counter-Strike 2 in 2025 and beyond on Friday, including how much money it will put into the circuit annually, planned destinations, and more.
The 2025 ESL Pro Tour will feature two championship events, IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne, and will include five Masters-level competitions, including ESL Pro League Seasons 21 and 22, IEM Dallas, IEM Chengdu, and a planned IEM event in April 2025. EFG also noted that, per Valve’s rules for Counter-Strike 2 esports, EPT will feature an open slot system in 2025 that allows “semi-pro and pro CS2 teams” to compete in regional qualifiers.
But most importantly, EFG’s announced that it plans to contribute more that $22M USD in 2025 and 2026 ($11M annually) in its Counter-Strike 2 ecosystem. This, it claims, is in addition to its hospitality spend included for each event, which will continue to provide accommodations, flights, practice setups, and on-site hospitality for participating teams and players.
Additionally, EFG will continue to provide teams with the Intel Grand Slam race, with an overall annual prize of $1M. More details on this funding plan are to be announced at a later date.
“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 EFG Director Game of Ecosystems for Counter-Strike Marc Winther. “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.”
ESL Pro Tour Championships Schedule
ESL Pro Tour Winter Championship: IEM Katowice 2025 (Jan. 29 – Feb. 9, 2025) in Katowice, Poland – with the final three days to be hosted at a live event at the Spodek Arena (tickets for that will go on sale Oct. 22). IEM Katowice 2025 will coincide with the IEM Expo, taking place at the International Congress Center (MCK) in Katowice.
ESL Pro Tour Summer Championship: IEM Cologne 2025 (July 23 – Aug. 3, 2025) in Cologne, Germany – with the final three days to be held at a live event at the LANXESS arena (tickets for that will go on sale Oct. 22).
ESL Pro Tour Masters: EPT Masters competitions in 2025 will see 24 ESL Pro League (EPL) teams compete in best-of-three series, except the Grand Final, which will be best-of-five.
ESL Pro League Season 21: Taking place Feb. 25- March 16, 2025, at a location to be announced somewhere in Europe.
IEM Spring 2025: Taking place April 21-27, 2025, at a location to be announced.
IEM Dallas 2025: May 19-25, 2025, in Dallas, Texas.
ESL Pro League Season 22: Sept. 23 – Oct. 12, 2025, at a location to be announced somewhere in Europe.
IEM Chengdu 2025: Nov. 3-9, 2025, in Chengdu, China – more details are to be announced.
In addition, EFG announced tentative plans for “grassroots competitions” through ESEA Leagues hosted on its wholly owned FACEIT platform. Additional details about the remaining EPT competitions in 2025 will be announced at a later date.
EFG said in a release that the 2025 season will build on this year’s successful events, which “generated more than 140 million watch hours” watched across its most popular events in 2024 including IEM Dallas, IEM Cologne (which it claims drew more than 1M peak viewers), and more (those numbers are based on data from Esports Charts).
EFG is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Savvy Games Group—which in turn is owned by the Saudi government’s Public Investment Fund. The company’s chairman of the board is also Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler HRH Crown Prince MBS. EFG is home to tournament organizer ESL, Esports Engine (which focuses on the North America and the UK), competition platform FACEIT, and esports and gaming festival company DreamHack.