From August the 22nd to the 23rd 2015, the second largest multifunctional arena on the globe will be playing host to ESL One Cologne, which is to be the world’s largest Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament to date.

Thanks to a partnership between the LANXESS arena and ESL, ESL One Cologne will be taking place at the famous arena widely known as the home of ice hockey giants Kölner Haie. There, sixteen of the world’s best Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams will duke it out in front of a roaring crowd filling a 15,000-seat stadium, which has been visited by over 28 million guests since the arena’s opening in 1998.

Ulrich Schulze, managing director of pro gaming at ESL, said of the upcoming event:

“We had the honor of hosting two US$250,000 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournaments last year as part of the ESL One esports tour, and this year we plan on stepping it up. ESL One Cologne is going to be the largest Counter-Strike: Global Offensive event in the world. Taking place in the biggest indoor arena in Germany, we’re sure it’ll be a massive hit with fans from all over.”

ESL One Cologne will be ESL’s fourth US$250,000 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament in just over two years. However, while previous ESL One events featured a community funded prize pool, the prize money for Cologne will be provided solely by ESL, Ulrich Schulze identifying this as proof of the company’s dedication to the game’s esports development and that 2015 would see ESL do even more with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive than ever before.

Stefan Löcher, CEO of ARENA management GmbH, said of ESL One Cologne:

“We’re very excited to be the first German arena to host an event of this kind. We are convinced that Cologne, as both a tourist destination and as a technology capital, is perfectly suited. In cooperation with our partner, ESL, we’re looking forward to hosting some of the world’s best esports players and their fans.”

Ticket sales for ESL One Cologne will begin on the 23rd of February via Eventim and all associated ticketing agencies in Germany, with more information on tournament structure and the qualification process to be released at a later date, so stay tuned!

For more information, head over to the official event site at www.esl-one.com.

We hope to see you at the LANXESS arena in August!