ESL has announced that it will host a $250,000 CS:GO tournament in Cologne in the summer.

Scheduled for July 8-10, ESL One Cologne 2016 will take place at the iconic Lanxess arena, which hosted the playoffs of this year's event after the group matches were played at the MMC studios.

ESL believes that the event will continue to represent "the world’s largest Counter-Strike tournament" after the 2015 edition shattered all records, with 27 million unique viewers and a peak viewership of 1.3 million people.



ESL One Cologne returns to the Lanxess Arena

There was no mention of the event possibly being a major, but there is still plenty of time for ESL to reach an agreement with Valve. The only 2016 major confirmed so far will be hosted by MLG from March 29 to April 3 in Columbus, Ohio.

"ESL One Cologne 2015 remains an industry-record-holding event that saw epic moments realised both onscreen and off," ESL Pro Gaming vice-president Ulrich Schulze said in a statement. "We’re working hard at making the world’s largest Counter-Strike tournament an even greater success in 2016 and look forward to furthering our company’s long-lasting commitment to the game."

Tickets for ESL One Cologne will go on sale on Wednesday, December 9, exclusively on Eventim. From Saturday onwards, they can also be bought via all associated ticket agencies in Germany.

General admission tickets cost €39.90, while premium tickets are priced at €299. There is also a €2,999 pack, called "Global Elite Experience", which includes tickets and a private lounge for five people.