ESL One Cologne 2015
ESL One Cologne 2015 was the sixth Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major Championship that was held from August 14–18, 2015 at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne.[1] It was organized by Electronic Sports League. The Cologne event was the first ESL tournament that required competitors to take drug tests, which all came up negative.[2][3][4] The tournament had a total prize pool of US$250,000. The online livestream was viewed by around 27 million viewers with a peak of 1.3 million concurrent viewers.[5]
2015 | |
Tournament information | |
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Sport | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive |
Location | Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany |
Dates | August 14, 2015–August 18, 2015 |
Administrator | Valve ESL |
Tournament format(s) | GSL double elimination group stage Eight team single elimination playoff |
Venue | Lanxess Arena |
Teams | 16 teams |
Purse | $250,000 USD |
Final positions | |
Champions | Fnatic (3rd title) |
1st runners-up | Team EnVyUs |
2nd runners-up | Virtus.pro Team SoloMid |
MVP | Robin "flusha" Rönnquist |
Eight teams were in the playoffs. Fnatic, Luminosity Gaming, Natus Vincere, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Team EnVyUs, Team SoloMid, and Virtus.pro were returning Legends. Team Kinguin was the only new Legend in the tournament, replacing mousesports, which failed to make the top eight. Fnatic, which defeated Luminosity Gaming and Virtus.pro, was the winner of the event after defeating Team EnVyUs, which defeated Natus Vincere and Team SoloMid, 2–0.[6] Fnatic was the first team to have consecutive major titles and would be the only team to do so until SK Gaming (which was Luminosity Gaming at this tournament) when the Brazilian team won MLG Columbus 2016 and ESL One Cologne 2016.
Format
The top eight teams from ESL One Katowice 2015 ("Legends") received direct invitations to Katowice. In addition, eight other teams (the "Challengers") emerged from offline qualifiers: four from the European qualifier, two from the Asian qualifier, and two from the North American qualifier.
Teams were split up into four groups, and all group matches were best-of-ones. In the first group stage, the highest seed played the lowest seed in each group and the second and third seeds played each other. The winner of those two matches then played each other to determine which team moved on to the playoff stage; the loser of this match received a "high seed" in the second group stage. The two losers from the initial matches were given "low seeds" in the second group stage, while the high seed received a bye. In the second group stage, the groups were shuffled so that teams faced new opponents.[7] However, each group still contained one high seed and two low seeds. The two low seeds in each group played each other, and the winner of that match played the high seed in the group. The winner of that match qualified for the playoff stage.
The playoffs bracket consisted of eight teams, two from each group. All of these matches were best-of-three, single elimination. Teams advanced in the bracket until a winner was decided.
Map pool
There were seven maps to choose from. However, Nuke was taken out of the active map pool and Train was brought back in for the first time since the second Major, EMS One Katowice 2014. Before each match in the group stage, both teams banned two maps. The map for the match was then randomly selected from the remaining three maps. In the playoffs, each team first banned one map, then chose one map. The two chosen maps were the first two maps in the best-of-three. If the series were to require a third map, the map was randomly selected from the three remaining maps.
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Qualifiers
Four teams from the European Qualifier, two teams from the Asian Qualifier, and two teams from the North American Qualifier moved on to the major.
Sixteen European teams were placed in two separate brackets. Two teams from each bracket moved on to the major. In the Asian and North American Qualifiers, eight teams were placed in two groups and were played out like in previous majors' group stages. The top two moved on to a four team bracket. The winners of the matches move on to the major.[8]
European Qualifier
Upper round 1 | Upper round 2 | Upper final | Qualified | ||||||||||||||||||||
Team Property | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
PiTER | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Team Property | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Team Dignitas | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Team Dignitas | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
OverGaming | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Team Dignitas | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Team Kinguin | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
FlipSid3 Tactics | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
KILLERFISH | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
KILLERFISH | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Team Kinguin | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Team Kinguin | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
PENTA Sports | 9 | Team Kinguin | |||||||||||||||||||||
FlipSid3 Tactics | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Lower round 1 | Lower round 2 | Lower round 3 | Lower final | ||||||||||||||||||||
KILLERFISH | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
PiTER | 8 | OverGaming | 8 | Team Dignitas | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||
OverGaming | 16 | KILLERFISH | 16 | FlipSid3 Tactics | 19 | ||||||||||||||||||
FlipSid3 Tactics | 19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Team Property | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
FlipSid3 Tactics | 19 | FlipSid3 Tactics | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||
PENTA Sports | 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Upper round 1 | Upper round 2 | Upper final | Qualified | ||||||||||||||||||||
HellRaisers | 19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
LGB eSports | 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
HellRaisers | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Team eBettle | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Epiphany Bolt | 19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Team eBettle | 22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Team eBettle | 25 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Titan | 23 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Team ROCCAT | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
k1ck eSports.hu | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
k1ck eSports.hu | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Titan | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Gamers2 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Titan | 16 | Team eBettle | |||||||||||||||||||||
Titan | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Lower round 1 | Lower round 2 | Lower round 3 | Lower final | ||||||||||||||||||||
k1ck eSports.hu | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
LGB eSports | 16 | LGB eSports | 16 | Titan | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||
Epiphany Bolt | 11 | LGB eSports | 16 | LGB eSports | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
HellRaisers | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
HellRaisers | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Team ROCCAT | 5 | Gamers2 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Gamers2 | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Asian Qualifier
Semifinals | Qualified | |||||||
Team Immunity | 2 | |||||||
MVP Karnal | 0 | |||||||
Team Immunity | ||||||||
Renegades | ||||||||
Renegades | 2 | |||||||
myRevenge.kr | 0 |
North American Qualifier
Semifinals | Qualified | |||||||
Cloud9 | 2 | |||||||
eLevate | 0 | |||||||
Cloud9 | ||||||||
Counter Logic Gaming | ||||||||
Counter Logic Gaming | 2 | |||||||
Team Liquid | 0 |
Broadcast talent
Hosts
- Oliver James "OJ Borg" Borg D'Anastasi
- William "Chobra" Cho
Analysts
- Henry "HenryG" Greer
- Robin "Fifflaren" Johansson
- Casper "cadiaN" Møller
- Jason "moses" O'Toole
Commentators
- Anders Blume
- Jason "JKaplan" Kaplan
- Auguste "Semmler" Massonnat
- Joe Miller
- Alex "Machine" Richardson
- Lauren "Pansy" Scott
- Leigh "Deman" Smith
Observers
- Yanko "YNk" Paunović
- Simon "pAn" Schumacher
Others
- Sean Charles (Reporting)
- Soe "Soembie" Gschwind-Penski (Esports in Cinemas)
Broadcasts
All streams were broadcast on Twitch in various languages.
Teams
Group Stage 1
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Group Stage 2
Group E
Group F
Group G
Group H
PlayoffsBracket
QuarterfinalsTeam EnVyUs vs. Natus VincereCasters: Anders Blume, Deman, & JKaplan
Team SoloMid vs. Team KinguinCasters: Pansy, HenryG, & Machine
Virtus.pro vs. Ninjas in PyjamasCasters: Anders Blume, Semmler, & moses
Fnatic vs. Luminosity GamingCasters: Deman, Joe Miller, & Fifflaren
SemifinalsTeam EnVyUs vs. Team SoloMidCasters: Anders Blume, Semmler, & moses
Virtus.pro vs. FnaticCasters: Pansy, Machine, & Fifflaren
FinalsCasters: Deman, Anders Blume, & HenryG With its third title, Fnatic would be the only team to win back-to-back majors and have multiple titles until SK Gaming, which won MLG Columbus 2016 and ESL One Cologne 2016. Flusha was named the most valuable player of Cologne 2015.
Final standings
References
External links |