The overall tournament features 24 CS:GO teams and 36 StarCraft® II players battling it out for their share of the $1,500,000 total prize pool
Stakes are high as competitors are fighting for a chance to play in front of a live audience in the legendary Spodek Arena during the playoff stage
Cologne/New York/Stockholm – The wait is finally over as the play-in phase of Intel® Extreme Masters (IEM) Katowice 2022 starts on Tuesday, February 15. The world’s best Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) teams and extraordinary StarCraft® II players are all set to face off for a chance to proceed to the final stage of the tournament. All in an attempt to take hold of their share of the $1,500,000 combined prize pool.
The final stage of the competition will take place in Spodek Arena in approximately one-and-a-half weeks from now, on February 25-27, and the bleachers will roar again with excitement following a two-year absence due to the pandemic. Tickets are still available for those who want to experience this historic tournament live.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of IEM Katowice, ESL Gaming has prepared a special ‘X’ campaign. As a result, everyone can relive the history of the greatest battles in esports history and celebrate the former winners of IEM Katowice tournaments. One of the key elements of the campaign is a dedicated section on the event’s site where fans can experience the legacy via photos, special materials, and articles summarizing the decade of one of the most significant esports events around the world. And that is just the beginning.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Teams like Natus Vincere, a former tournament winner, will participate in this celebratory edition of IEM Katowice at the outset of the competition. Alongside them, fans can expect heated exchanges from players of FaZe Clan, Team Vitality, G2 Esports, and many more.
StarCraft® II
Fans can also look out for an intense StarCraft® II tournament with 16 players participating in the play-in stage of the competition.
From this initial phase, four players will proceed and join the already seeded group of 20. Their duels will take place right before the final weekend of IEM Katowice 2022, where only 12 will be left to decide their fate in a battle for $500,000.
Where to watch
For those unable to join on-site in Katowice, Poland, and deciding to join the tournament online instead, an exciting and content-filled transmission will be available. The CS:GO competition can be watched on live.intelextrememasters.com. Fans of StarCraft® II can keep an eye out for a heated competition available on ESL Gaming’s StarCraft® II Twitch channel. Furthermore, both competitions will be broadcasted by our dedicated broadcast partners.
For more information and the latest updates, head to the official website for IEM Katowice 2022, follow ESL CS on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, or follow ESL SC2 on Twitter and Facebook.
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About ESL Gaming
ESL Gaming is the world’s leading esports company. For more than two decades, we have been shaping the industry and leading esports and gaming innovation globally across the most popular video games, creating a comprehensive ecosystem with opportunities for players to go from zero to hero, and for fans to witness the best stories esports has to offer. Our portfolio consists of high-profile products such as the ESL Pro Tour, Intel® Extreme Masters, ESL Mobile, DreamHack Festivals, and many more, ranging from grassroots to global elite competitions. ESL Gaming is part of MTG, the leading international digital entertainment group.
More information is available at eslfaceitgroup.com.
Intel® Extreme Masters – Intel® Extreme Masters is the longest-running global professional esports tournament circuit in the world. Started in 2006 by Intel and ESL, the competition has now traveled to over 30 cities around the globe and conducted tournaments for 11 different competitive gaming titles. Esports fans from more than 180 countries regularly make IEM events record-breakers in terms of stadium attendance and viewership, with the tournament’s inaugural event in Australia in May 2017 marking the fifth continent for the global competitive circuit. Throughout more than 75 IEM events, over US $11 million in prize money has been awarded to some of the world’s top esports talent (www.intelextrememasters.com).