IEM Cologne held a moment of silence for CSGO ahead of the pivot to Counter-Strike 2 for the 2024 competitive calendar.
2023’s iteration of IEM Cologne has crowned its champions, and it saw G2 lift their first trophy in the ‘Cathedral of Counter-Strike”, making them the third-ever team to win Katowice and Cologne in the same year.
However, 2023’s IEM Cologne also marked the very last time CSGO will be played in the iconic region as 2024 marks the arrival of Counter-Strike 2.
To bid adieu to the very last appearance of CSGO in the cathedral, IEM Cologne 2023 held a moment of silence for the storied game as the community readies for the future.
It's time to take a moment of silence.A moment of silence for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.The Cathedral pays it's respects.#IEM pic.twitter.com/AZYFfgR8me
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) August 5, 2023
IEM Cologne holds moment of silence for CSGO as Counter-Strike 2 nears
Right before the semi-finals match between Astralis and G2 to decide who would be making their first Cologne grand finals appearance, Cologne decided to commemorate some of its greatest moments with a one-off display.
From Olofmeister’s famous molotov defuse in the semis of ESL Cologne 2014, SK Gaming’s back-to-back Cologne wins, and NIP’s first and only Major trophy, a special package was heard throughout the venue during this moment of celebration.
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“Time to take a moment Cologne,” said long-time CSGO stage host OJ Borg to the crowd. “A moment of silent contemplation. As we finish another sentence, we turn another page in this most magnificent book.
“Moments written by masters, witnessed by millions, and what a place to relive it all here in the cathedral of Counter-Strike.”
The esport is poised to make its transition to Counter-Strike 2, which will be releasing sometime this Summer. As for the rest 2023’s calendar, we’re already set to see a few CS2 tournaments played.
However, for every other major CS tournament, from ESL Pro League to IEM Sydney to the BLAST Fall Finals and World Finals, these will be some of the very last CSGO tournaments before the transition.
