Counter-Strike 2’s glamorous IEM Cologne 2024 event won’t have any best-of-one matches, with organizers ESL today unveiling a more best-of-three-focused strategy today.
Best-of-ones have long been among the least favorite tournament formats for many CS2 fans and even professional players like Adam Friberg, who was very vocal about hating the short-changed play almost 10 years ago. Despite outcries, BO1s remained in the scene; until the recent Esports World Cup served as a tipping point.
The EWC had a “Resurrection Stage” which hosted BO1s. This part of the event featured teams who were practically eliminated from the global tournament and was designed to give one of them a final chance. While the idea of giving such teams a last chance looked innovative, it scrapped an important part of CS2—adaptation.
Series played over three or even five maps allow teams to adapt and outplay their enemies overtime, while BO1s could favor cheesy strategies. The main reason why BO1s are often preferred is because they save time and money. Switching to BO3s for ESL might mean organizing a longer tournament, which would also bump up the costs in return.
CS2 fans were quick to show their appreciation for the change across X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit alike, with many hoping for it to succeed so more TOs make the swap. Several other tournament organizers have already started moving away from BO1s, with BLAST Premier: Fall Final 2024 and ESL Pro League Season 20, both of which are set to take place in September this year, sticking to BO3 and BO5 matches.
CS2 isn’t the only competitive title on the block with a BO1 problem either. Dota 2 and League of Legends fans have also been vocal about the situation. While BO1s may make way for some of the greatest upsets in competitive gaming, they don’t come close to beating a close three or five match series when it comes to hype.
