eSports
Intel® Extreme Masters Cologne 2023: Local heroes G2 Esports crowned the final Cologne CS:GO Champion at the Cathedral of Counter-Strike

Intel® Extreme Masters (IEM) Cologne 2023 has come to a thrilling conclusion, with G2 Esports emerging victorious after an intense battle between 24 of the best Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) teams from around the world. The competition was held from July 26th to August 6th, and the final three days took place in front of more than 37,000 passionate fans at the iconic LANXESS arena in Cologne, Germany.
ESL’s flagship event in LANXESS arena saw many record-breaking moments, with the tournament selling out faster than any other ESL event in Cologne previously, filling the most seats ever as well as capturing the highest average viewership for any other esports event hosted in the German city.
The Play-in Stage began on the 26th July, with 16 teams battling it out for one of the top eight spots. From the 29th July, the Group Stage saw the top eight teams from the Play-in Stage and eight squads that directly qualified, be split into two groups of eight and go head-to-head. The six best teams – Astralis, Cloud9, ENCE, G2 Esports, HEROIC, and Team Vitality – then proceeded to the live Playoffs on August 4-6, during which they faced off against each other in front of the sold-out LANXESS arena.
The Playoffs had a sensational start with Team Vitality dominating the first Quarter-Final, beating Cloud9 2-0. The second Quarter-Final saw Danish squads HEROIC and Astralis face each other, with the latter emerging victorious in another 2-0 win. The Semi-Finals first saw Finnish and French esports organizations, ENCE and Team Vitality, battle it out for three intense rounds, with ENCE becoming the first team to secure a spot in the Grand Final following a 2-1 win. The second Semi-Final saw G2 Esports dominate, defeating Astralis 2-0 and advancing to the final game of the competition.
The electrifying best-of-5 Grand Final saw G2 Esports control the first two rounds against ENCE, going 2-0 up. ENCE started off strong in map 3, and despite catching up, G2 Esports were unable to secure the win, leading the Grand Final to go into the fourth map.
After a hard-fought and exciting match, G2 Esports beat ENCE by a score of 3-1 winning the coveted and renowned IEM Cologne trophy, taking home $400,000 of the $1,000,000 total prize pool, and joining Team Vitality and ENCE in the race to securing Intel® Grand Slam V. Moreover, the squad is the first team to secure a spot in the Group Stage of the first ESL Pro Tour (EPT) Championship event in 2024.
G2 Esports Rifler Nikola “NiKo” Kovač also secured his very first EPT DHL MVP award which is judged on a combination of player performance, fan voting, and broadcast talent voting.
Following the win, Nikola ‘NiKo’ Kovač commented: “This is the biggest trophy of my career – I’m super happy right now! It’s been a long journey to finally get this trophy but it wouldn’t be possible without this team and I’m so happy to have them by my side. I’m really proud of everyone, we kept it cool and calm throughout the whole series and it doesn’t feel real that we managed to win both [EPT Championship] tournaments in the same year. The experience and playing in the LANXESS arena was amazing!”
By winning the IEM Cologne 2023 title, the German organization claims two EPT Championship competitions back-to-back in the same year, having secured the IEM Katowice trophy earlier this year as well. Furthermore, G2 Esports’ Justin “jks” Savage once more showed he is a force to be reckoned with, winning his third EPT Championship title in two years’ time.
IEM Cologne 2023 saw a peak viewership of more than 727,000.* Moreover, the live part of the event attracted more than 37,000 fans from 70 different countries over three days.
Next up in the ESL Pro Tour is the ESL Pro Tour Season 18, kicking off on August 31 – October 1. For more information and the latest updates about ESL’s Counter-Strike esports ecosystem, head to the official ESL Pro Tour website, and follow ESL CS on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
eSports
UNITED KINGDOM TO HOST 2024 PUBG MOBILE GLOBAL CHAMPIONSHIP

PUBG MOBILE Esports is thrilled to announce that the 2024 PUBG MOBILE Global Championship (PMGC) will be held in the UK, taking place live next December with a $3 million prize pool. The first time a major PUBG MOBILE event has been hosted in the UK, this tournament will bring local fans a unique opportunity to see the very best skill that the world has to offer. This news comes ahead of this year’s 2023 PUBG MOBILE Grand Finals in Istanbul.
James Yang, Senior Director of PUBG MOBILE Global Esports, announced the news during the opening ceremony of the 2023 PMGC Grand Finals, with the exact UK location to be revealed at a later date. This is the first time a major PUBG MOBILE event has been held in the country and the first in Western Europe since 2018.
The highlight of the PUBG MOBILE Esports calendar, the PMGC brings together dozens of teams from around the world to compete in the ultimate showcase of talent. This year’s Grand Finals are taking place this weekend in Istanbul, Türkiye, where the final sixteen teams remaining in the competition will battle it out to become PUBG MOBILE World Champion.
Joining next year’s PMGC in the top tier of PUBG MOBILE Esports events, as well as next year’s midseason tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is the PUBG MOBILE Global Open (PMGO), which will take place in Brazil throughout March and April 2024 and feature a $500,000 prize pool.
eSports
Global Esports Federation joins UNESCO Chair on Governance & Social Responsibility

The Global Esports Federation is honored by the appointment of Thanos Karagrounas, GEF’s Executive Director, Strategy & Impact, as a member of the Advisory Committee of the UNESCO Chair on Governance and Social Responsibility in Sport.
The UNESCO Chair was established in June 2023 with the long-term aim of fostering an integrated system of research, education, and training to enhance the quality of governance practices within the sport industry and advocate socially responsible program designs that prioritize sport as a core component.
As a global leader in the realm of sustainable development and social impact, Thanos Karagrounas has been appointed to play a pivotal role in the Advisory Committee, co-coordinating one of the six strategic pillars on esports.
“It is a distinct honor to be a member of this esteemed group of internationally renowned experts. The opportunity to combine our diverse experiences and perspectives will contribute to the Chair’s objectives. The inclusion of esports as one of the UNESCO Chair’s six strategic pillars, underscores the important role GEF is playing in the governance and social responsibility realm and our commitment towards making an impact on a global scale.” ~ Thanos Karagrounas, GEF Executive Director, Strategy & Impact
The GEF convenes its #worldconnected esports community, harnessing the energy to drive meaningful progress. As a member of the Advisory Committee, the GEF looks forward to contributing its expertise to accelerate its overall contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
eSports
Stryda VALORANT Nordic Clash partners with talents for the Grand Finals

The upcoming Stryda VALORANT Nordic Clash Grand Finals promise an unforgettable experience thanks to their talented hosts. Nonno “Nymy” Rydgren, a well-know esports player and content creator for Fnatic Network, will team up with Melanie “Yuna” Hecht, the Captain & Flex IGL for Heat Esports, to guide viewers through the thrilling event.
Stryda VALORANT Nordic Clash is part of the VALORANT Championship Tour OFF//SEASON in partnership with Riot Games, and it’s open to all skill levels with a prize pool of $20,000. The Qualifiers are now over, and the Grand Finals are set for December 9th and 10th, with a live stream on Sunday, December 10th.
In an exclusive interview, Nymy and Yuna shared their journeys, memorable moments, team predictions, and advice for aspiring gamers. They also emphasized the importance of women in gaming and the potential for mixed-gender teams in esports.
Nymy encouraged female players: “Keep grinding, keep your mental up, keep pushing, and don’t give up. There are so many talented GC players out there and hopefully, in the future, we get to see mixed teams competing together. The GC scene is so wholesome and supportive which is lovely to see and experience.”
Yuna added, “Riot is doing a great job in supporting the game-changer scene. In the future, I can definitely see mixed teams too on VCT stages. For the lovely ladies, don’t give up, keep improving, go for your goals, get an aim routine, watch VODs and you will be able to play on stages with some practice.”
The Grand Finals promise exciting matches, featuring standout contenders like OnlyFins and Wintermint. Watch the action live on December 10, 2023, on the tournament’s Twitch channel. For highlights, visit their YouTube channel. Stay connected with the hosts here:
Nymy on Twitch and X (Ex Twitter)
Yuna on X (Ex Twitter)
About Stryda VALORANT Nordic Clash:
Esports powerhouse Stryda has again joined forces with RIOT Games to announce the Stryda VALORANT Nordic Clash championship. This much-anticipated tournament calls on gamers of all levels to showcase their skills against one another across the Nordic region.
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