Intel® Extreme Masters

Intel^® Extreme Masters, the longest running global pro gaming tour in the world, is returning to Australia this May. The elite gaming competition will expand as sixteen world-class Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams compete live in Sydney at the Qudos Bank Arena over May 4-6, for a record prize pool of USD$250,000 (AUD$310,000).

The line-up of top teams invited to compete at IEM Sydney will also be fighting for another point towards the Intel® Grand Slam, which will reward $1,000,000 to the first team that wins four of the last ten Counter-Strike: Global Offensive competitions hosted by ESL and DreamHack. Four teams already have at least one or more win under their belt that counts towards the Intel Grand Slam, with SK Gaming leading in the challenge with two wins that bring them closer to being the first the Intel Grand Slam Champions.

“What happened at last year’s Intel Extreme Masters Sydney event completely blew us away,” said Michal Blicharz, VP Pro Gaming at ESL. “The Australian esports audience was extremely engaged in the event and became a part of the show.  That type of atmosphere is very rare.  They left us no choice but to come back and do it again.”

“Last year’s IEM Sydney event marked a watershed moment for the landscape of Australian esports, proving that this region has a huge appetite for the best esports content,” said Nick Vanzetti, Managing Director at ESL Australia. “Fans turned up in droves to experience the magic of the arena spectacle; the competition on stage was fierce and the crowd was electric. In Australia, the esports audience is growing exponentially year on year, and IEM Sydney 2018 hopes to raise the bar once again for fans and spectators the world over.”