Heroic and Space Soldiers have both secured spots at ESL One Cologne via the European closed qualifier.

Twelve European teams, eight invited and four qualified, took part in the closed qualifier this weekend for the chance to earn spots in ESL's upcoming $250,000 competition.

The qualifier kicked off with an upset as Kinguin, fresh off securing a spot at the European Minor, were knocked out by Tundra Esports, formerly known as Polaris, thanks to a sensational performance from Aleksandar "⁠jayzaR⁠" Zarkovic, who topped the scoreboard with a +30 KDD.

Even with a stand-in, Heroic were able to qualify

Heroic, who fielded Casper "⁠cadiaN⁠" Møller as a stand-in after benching Valdemar "⁠valde⁠" Bjørn Vangså, reached the semi-finals after defeating BIG, and they went on to defeat dignitas on two maps, the first of which by a comprehensive 16-4 scoreline.

The other semi-final pitted Space Soldiers against GODSENT. With Engin "⁠ngiN⁠" Kor filling in for Çağatay "⁠DESPE⁠" Sedef, the Turkish team were far too strong for the Swedes and ran out victorious in convincing fashion, especially on Cobblestone, their signature map.

ESL One Cologne will take place in early July, with the playoffs running from 7-9 at LANXESS Arena. Here is the current team list for the event:

The final spot at ESL One Cologne will be determined by the Chinese qualifiers, which will culminate with a closed stage from June 7-9 featuring 16 teams.