ESL Reveals 2024 EPT Slot Distribution Changes

ESL recently announced the changes to the ESL Pro Tour Slot Distribution changes for 2024, with the most significant changes coming to the Championship class events in Katowice and Cologne. The new changes most significantly affect the North American region as they lose a direct invite into the Hall of Heroes and the Cathedral of Counter-strike.

IEM Katowice further sees it's Affiliate event qualification slot removed. This slot was previously awarded at Elise Masters Espoo for IEM Katowice 2023. The two removed slots are replaced with Global ESL World Ranking Invites, taking that total up to 8. IEM Cologne on the other hand replaces ESL Meisterschaft's qualification slot with a German qualifier slot in accordance with the previously announced changes for the EPT Calendar.

The distribution for ESL Pro League Season 19 further follows the idealogy of opening up the regional locks. Season 19 loses one of its EU Pre-Qualifier slot in favor of another Global World Ranking Invite. Similarly the ESL Premier League Brazil slot is replaced with an increase to the South American qualifier.

Season 20 on the other hand keeps the Global Invites at 3, but adds two new regions for ECL, SA and Oceania, both receiving two slots. National Championships and open qualifier slots get the axe to accomodate these regions and to allow the addition of two Affiliated event slots as well.

The final changes apply to IEM China which takes the place of IEM Sydney as the Asia-Oceania based IEM event. The event will no longer feature a local hero invite and will instead run an offline qualifier. IEM China will also feature one less EU Qualifier slot and instead will have a slot for South America.