IEM Cologne, one of the top eSports events of the year and the first LAN event after a long break, has reached the playoff stage. After the group tournament, there are six teams left to battle it out for the top prize. The two quarterfinal matches will take place on Friday, the semifinals – on Saturday, and on Sunday there will be a grand final, which will be played in a best-of-5 format.
In the first quarterfinal on Friday, Virtus.pro will face Astralis after the Danes failed to defeat Natus Vincere in the final of the top set of the Group B group tournament. In the second quarterfinal, which will take place on the same day, Gambit, who occupy the top position in the world ranking, will meet FaZe – the only participant of the playoffs, who overcame all stages, starting from play-in.
G2 and Natus Vincere, who became leaders in their groups and did not suffer a single defeat, will go straight to the semifinals. Thus, these two teams will have more time to rest and prepare for the decisive matches. G2 will face the winner of the pairing «Astralis – Virtus.pro», while Natus Vincere – will face the winner of the pairing «FaZe – Gambit». The Grand Final, which will determine the grand prize winner, will be held on Sunday at 5 p.m.
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