IEM Counter-Strike events will be heading to the USA, China, and Brazil in 2026.
CS2 Intel Extreme Masters set for Brazil, China, USA in 2026
ESL FACEIT Group have shared their plans for the 2026 Counter-Strike 2 esports season, including the intention to host Intel Extreme Masters events in Brazil, USA, and China.
The three IEM Counter-Strike 2 events will be hosted in April (Brazil), May (USA), and November (China).
All three will hand out invites to teams based on the Valve Regional Standings (VRS), including Global VRS invites and Regional VRS invites, to ensure regional representation.
ESL have also revealed that the 2026 IEM tournaments will include third-place deciders — following the footsteps of PGL, who introduced the bronze medal games to their events this year.
The introduction of three new competitions follows the decision to move the flagship IEM Katowice event to Krakow for 2026 and beyond, and is a part of ESL’s new commitment to the Counter-Strike 2 scene to contribute at least $22 million between 2025 and 2026 to create a more sustainable ecosystem.
The exact details of IEM Brazil, USA, and China, including the host cities, have not been revealed; however, ESL shared the tournament dates and VRS invite details.
IEM Brazil 2026
- City: TBA
- Date: April 13-19
- VRS invite cutoff date: January 2026
- Seeding: March 2026
The Brazilian tournament will hand out 11 global VRS invites, in addition to one each from the North America and South America regional VRS.
The final three slots will be filled in by teams who fight their way through qualifiers — one from the Americas qualifier and two from global qualifiers.
IEM USA 2026
- City: TBA
- Date: May 11-17
- VRS invite cutoff date: February 2026
- Seeding: April 2026
Same as the Brazilian tournament, IEM USA will offer 11 global VRS invites and one each from the North and South American regional VRS.
Two additional teams will be handed the invites by winning global closed qualifiers, while the final slot will be filled in by Americas qualifier champions.
IEM China 2026
- City: TBA
- Date: November 2-8
- VRS invite cutoff date: August 2026
- Seeding: October
Unlike the first two events, IEM China will invite only the top 10 teams on the global VRS. Those will join the top-rated teams in NA and SA and one squad from China.
Regional teams will get to fight for one additional slot via regional qualifiers, while the remaining two tickets will be awarded to the top two teams from the global IEM China 2026 qualifiers.
IEM 2026 prizemoney distribution
Each tournament will provide a US$1 million prize pool and contribute towards the Annual Club Incentive.
| Place | Prizemoney (USD) | Club Reward (USD) |
| Champions | $125,000 | $170,000 |
| Runners-up | $50,000 | $120,000 |
| 3rd | $30,000 | $95,000 |
| 4th | $20,000 | $75,000 |
| 5th-6th | $12,500 | $55,000 |
| 7th-8th | $7,000 | $35,000 |
| 9th-12th | $5,000 | $15,000 |
| 13th-16th | $4,000 | NA |
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