ESL Intel Extreme Masters

The Intel Extreme Masters is perhaps the most respected and well-known series of eSports tournaments on the pro gaming calendar. Players from around the globe compete in a series of events scattered around the world, with tournaments taking place across the globe, events on nearly every continent, and an epic final in Poland.

Sponsored by Intel and organised and sanctioned by the Electronic Sports League (ESL), the Intel Extreme Masters covers all the biggest and best games on the pro gaming scene, including CS2 and Starcraft II.

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History of the Intel Extreme Masters

ESL first introduced the Intel Extreme Masters to the world in 2006 following a number of successful albeit smaller European tournaments. Intel, extremely pleased by the performance and fan interest of the events, sponsored the event’s expansion, leading to the creation of the “Extreme Masters” from what was initially individually-named events.

Intel CSGOThe very first Intel Extreme Masters took place in 2007, with smaller qualifying events leading into an epic final. This structure remains today, although the final has moved from the CeBIT trade show in Hanover, Germany, to Katowice in Poland.

Those beginning seasons were small and limited in scope: the only game being played back in 2008 was Counter Strike 1.6. As history would show, this quickly expanded to become a lineup of five before retracting back to the two main titles, Counter-Strike and Starcraft II.


Intel Extreme Masters Events in 2024

Date
Event
Prize Pool USD$
Location
Jan 31 – Feb 11, 2024
IEM Katowice CS2
$1,000,000
Katowice, Poland
February 8 – 11, 2024
IEM Katowice (Starcraft II)
$500,000
Katowice, Poland
April 8 – 14, 2024
IEM Spring
$250,000
Chengdu, China
May 27 – June 2, 2024
IEM Summer
$250,000
Dallas, United States of America
August 7 – 18, 2024
IEM Cologne
$1,000,000
Cologne, Germany
October 7 – 13, 2024
IEM Fall
$250,000
Sydney, Australia

Intel Extreme Masters Games

The Intel Extreme Masters has experimented with a number of different games throughout the years. Counter-Strike 1.6 was used in the tournament’s early years, while both Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos and Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne lasted for three years from the event’s inception. Quake Live managed to last two seasons before essentially falling off the eSports map, replaced by the likes of StarCraft II, League of Legends and Overwatch.

These are the games that have been played during each season of the Intel Extreme Masters:

Season 1

  • Counter-Strike 1.6
  • Warcraft

Season 2

  • Counter-Strike 1.6
  • Warcraft

Season 3

  • Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
  • Warcraft
  • World Of Warcraft

Season 4

  • Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
  • World of Warcraft
  • Quake Live
  • Dota

Season 5

  • Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
  • Warcraft
  • Dota
  • StarCraft II
  • Quake Live

Season 6

  • League of Legends
  • Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
  • StarCraft II
  • Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Season 7

  • League of Legends
  • Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
  • StarCraft II

Season 8

  • StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
  • Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
  • Heartstone: Heroes of Warcraft

Season 9

  • StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
  • Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
  • League of Legends
  • Heartstone: Heroes of Warcraft

Season 10

  • StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
  • League of Legends
  • Heartstone: Heroes of Warcraft
  • Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Season 11

  • Overwatch
  • League of Legends
  • StarCraft II
  • Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Season 12

  • StarCraft II
  • Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
  • PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds

Season 13

  • StarCraft II
  • Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
  • Fortnite: Battle Royale
  • Dota 2

Season 14

  • StarCraft II
  • Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Season 15

  • StarCraft II
  • Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Season 16

  • StarCraft II
  • Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

2022

  • StarCraft II
  • Counter-Strike 2

2023

  • StarCraft II
  • Counter-Strike 2

2024

  • StarCraft II
  • Counter-Strike 2

Format of the Intel Extreme Masters

The Intel Extreme Masters relies on a qualifying season by which teams compete in an offline environment. Qualifiers tend to move around the globe, with the most recent 2023 qualifiers held in Rio de Janeiro, Dallas and Sydney.

Teams that qualify from these rounds are placed into the finals, where two groups of six teams are made, with the top two advancing to the grand final. The first placed team of each group will go directly to the semifinals, while second and third place go into the knock-out quarter finals.


Intel Extreme Masters Prize Money

The prize money on offer for the Intel Extreme Masters has fluctuated, but it still remains one of the most lucrative events on the pro gaming calendar. The current season offers a US$2.75 million prize pool in total, with both the IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne events having a prize pool of US$1,000,000.

Top Intel Extreme Masters earners

  • Byung “Rogue” Ryul Lee (Starcraft II) | US$365,700
  • Nikola “NiKo” Kovac (Counter-Strike) | US$361,400
  • Havard “rain” Nygaard (Counter-Strike) | US$316,950
  • Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen (Counter-Strike) | US315,033
  • Finn “karrigan” Andersen (Counter-Strike) | US$304,286