Complexity to replace paiN at IEM Cologne Play-in

The Brazilian team will miss out on the event due to "one of their members being unavailable."

paiN are not able to attend the IEM Cologne Play-in and will be replaced by Complexity, ESL has announced. The North American team has been chosen as the replacement due to being the next highest-ranked team in the ESL World Ranking in line with the ESL rulebook.

After their off-season coup of Jonathan "⁠EliGE⁠" Jablonowski, Complexity now get the chance to start their season with two tournaments on European soil. They will first attend the BLAST Premier Fall Groups starting on July 13 before taking the short trip to Cologne, where they will begin their journey in the Play-in.

EliGE is on for a busy debut month on Complexity

IEM Cologne 2023 Play-in will begin on July 26, with 16 teams battling for eight spots at the $1,000,000 main event. The first phase of the event will last three days and is set to feature two top-ten teams in Apeks and Liquid, as well as the likes of fnatic, FURIA, and Astralis, who went through roster rebuilds in the summer offseason.

Complexity, who are now the highest-ranked North American squad after Liquid moved away from the region, will be attending the German event as the only NA representative.

The IEM Cologne Play-in list currently looks as follows:

United States Jonathan 'EliGE' Jablonowski
Jonathan 'EliGE' Jablonowski
Age:
25
Team:
Rating 1.0:
1.08
Maps played:
1754
KPR:
0.75
DPR:
0.68
Vamos col
2023-07-06 17:48
#2
 | 
Brazil MIBR_IS_BAD
rip pain
2023-07-06 17:48
9 replies
I’ll never understand why did they disband the roster were really good together
2023-07-06 18:32
6 replies
#30
 | 
Portugal silent____
+1
2023-07-06 18:36
I swear this was one of their best seasons yet and they still changed so much
2023-07-06 20:34
3 replies
Need money bro so they selling their players while they can
2023-07-06 22:41
2 replies
Lmao, it's not what is happening otherwise they would sell their top players, thats not the case
2023-07-07 08:44
Idk how the org organize the budget but I guess paiN is a really stable organization talking about finance... I mean, they're not desperate for some k of dollars to an extent selling their place at the tournament.
2023-07-07 17:45
#53
 | 
Uruguay sallati
+1
2023-07-07 04:19
#34
 | 
Brazil Anarchy_BR
Most braindead management ever
2023-07-06 18:39
1 reply
#51
 | 
Brazil cykr
Sad but true rip pain
2023-07-07 02:29
#3
 | 
Canada MiLkBaGzz
why qualify when you can just be the replacement team every single time
2023-07-06 17:49
4 replies
USA! USA! USA!
2023-07-06 18:00
#19
 | 
Canada K1nGoldY
USA! USA! USA!
2023-07-06 18:04
#23
 | 
Netherlands daboiii
Blast Partner boost comin in clutch
2023-07-06 18:13
#61
 | 
Sweden Vrede
USA! USA! USA!
2023-07-08 02:26
#4
 | 
Finland iamjoe
complexity finessing 3rd event in a row
2023-07-06 17:48
1 reply
#8
 | 
United States Zake_
Ez for col lmao
2023-07-06 17:52
Pain was such a promising team, It was one of the tems that didn't had to change anything
2023-07-06 17:49
2 replies
#52
 | 
Brazil cykr
They should have moved to Europe instead of doing brainless roster changes. The only reason I can see for what happened is internal fighting, otherwise the managers are drunk
2023-07-07 02:38
1 reply
Probably not. It there were internal fights they wouldn't perform that good, atleast it's what I think. The only reason I think is $$$
2023-07-07 11:59
What a joke, paiN disbanded after good results, nice team management !
2023-07-06 17:50
Damn, NA got a free spot LULZ How many times is this now? I've lost count
2023-07-06 17:51
#9
 | 
Spain batxe
BIG Academy? what did I miss?
2023-07-06 17:53
3 replies
big academy qualified through german regionals but theyll play mostly main roster guys
2023-07-06 17:55
Probably qualis lol. But main team will play as main team now have 3/5 players that qualified with BIG Academy.
2023-07-06 17:56
1 reply
#63
 | 
Germany TheNop
you sure? They still havent annonced it will be that way and only 2/5 Players of the now main Team played the whole season, and I am not Sure if Krimbo will count as a third because he only played the final
2023-07-09 22:51
1 NA team at Cologne and that too as a replacement team xD
2023-07-06 17:53
1 reply
It's quite sad but I'm glad we're here in some way at all
2023-07-06 20:35
#11
 | 
Finland AliSabid
Rip
2023-07-06 17:54
why..
2023-07-06 17:55
LETS GO
2023-07-06 18:00
pain...
2023-07-06 18:01
How much is NA paying them
2023-07-06 18:01
Plebs: NA getting free spots Smart people: Damn the Complexity with the former best rifler in the world get to test their new superstar out in Cologne? Awesome!
2023-07-06 18:06
5 replies
#25
 | 
Portugal dracø
smart plebs: Damn the Complexity with the former best rifler in the world gets a free spot for NA and because of that they get to test their new superstar out in Cologne? LUL lucky af
2023-07-06 18:23
2 replies
#36
 | 
Brazil Madamrocas
you got to see the full picture "Preoccupied with a single leaf, you won't see the tree. Preoccupied with a single tree, you'll miss the entire forest"
2023-07-06 18:52
1 reply
Full picture: Complexity got lucky
2023-07-07 02:21
*decent
2023-07-06 18:38
galaxy brain people: write your comment
2023-07-07 00:49
more interesting ig in terms of reshuffled rosters
2023-07-06 18:12
#22
 | 
France AnsiPansi
awesome! we can see Elige in action again! looking forward to this!
2023-07-06 18:13
#24
 | 
Brazil jerolimeu
again?
2023-07-06 18:22
#26
 | 
United States thespecht
ez for elige
2023-07-06 18:26
#27
 | 
Brazil hugoooo
Yeah, great news!! Said no one ever, when coL replaces any team
2023-07-06 18:28
Wasted spot
2023-07-06 18:33
BALDPeek ELiGe
2023-07-06 18:36
elige is washed up, change my mind
2023-07-06 18:37
1 reply
Well Elige did swap alot of spots for Yeki so It could be just new roles Elige Rating with Yeki 1.09. Rating in 2022 before Yeki from January until July 1.16
2023-07-06 19:50
pain is so dumb, until the end of the year they wont have any oportunity like this, they wont go to any blast final, they probality wont be invite to any other tier S ESL tournament, this would be the ony one tier S for they.
2023-07-06 18:50
NA BACK
2023-07-06 18:54
#38
 | 
Hungary szia
You love to see it
2023-07-06 19:19
#39
 | 
United States Jasper2K
LETS GOO
2023-07-06 19:41
#43
 | 
Norway Snaids
nice hope they get to cologne
2023-07-06 20:45
#44
 | 
United States tint
nice
2023-07-06 21:13
Guys, maybe one of you knows the answer. As BIG missed out the Play-In by just 1 oder 2 points considered to the world ranking when the invites were announced - if they have the same players before their changes - would they be invited as a replacement for Pain instead of Complexity?
2023-07-06 21:37
1 reply
#58
 | 
United Kingdom messioso
They would have had more points than Complexity and taken the spot, yes.
2023-07-07 17:42
1 NA team at Cologne and that too as a replacement team
2023-07-06 21:53
It has never been so easy for COL
2023-07-06 22:44
Lets go elige in Cologne :D
2023-07-07 11:16
noooooo ;(
2023-07-07 17:03
Makes no difference Does it?
2023-07-07 21:43
#62
 | 
Germany TheNop
when will the Rosters for Cologne be locked in?
2023-07-09 22:46
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