Intel Extreme Masters Coming to Chicago

• ESL and Intel have announced that Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) will take place in Chicago from July 20-21, according to an article in the Esports Observer.
• The two-day tournament will host eight CS:GO teams from North America and Europe at the United Center with a prize pool of $250K USD.
• IEM Chicago 2019 will also be a part of the Intel Grand Slam, which will award a $1M bonus prize for the first team to win four of the last ten major CS:GO events organized by ESL and DreamHack.

The Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) will take place in Chicago for a second consecutive year, ESL  and Intel  announced on Friday.  The 76th global IEM tournament will be held at the United Center from July 20-21.

“After a successful inaugural IEM Chicago last year, we are excited to bring esports back to the Midwest for IEM’s tenth ever Counter-Strike event in the US,” said Michal Blicharz, vice president of pro gaming at ESL, in a statement. “The United Center is one of the most esteemed arenas in North America, and I can’t think of a more fitting place to celebrate such a prestigious and historic milestone for ESL.”

Six out of the eight participating Counter-Strike: Global Offensive  teams will be invited to compete in the group stages of IEM Chicago, running July 18-19. The remaining two spots will be filled by competition winners from Europe and the Americas.

The main event, running July 20-21, will host the semi-finals followed by the grand finals. Teams will be competing for a $250K prize pool. Tickets are on sale now.

IEM Chicago 2019 will also be a part of the Intel Grand Slam, which will award a $1M bonus prize for the first team to win four of the last ten major CS:GO events organized by ESL and DreamHack.

Related Esports Observer Article: ESL SVP Brand Partnerships on Maximizing IEM Chicago’s Activations

In August 2018, ESL and Intel announced that IEM Oakland would be relocated to Chicago through a partnership with Wintrust Arena and the United Center. Wintrust Arena hosted the inaugural IEM Chicago in 2018 and the next two events will be held in the United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks.

ESL called the first IEM Chicago event a “rousing success” that attracted nearly 6,500 visitors per day.

This year’s event will also feature sponsor activations, such as the Intel Showcase and ESL shop. Other specific activations were not disclosed at the time of writing, but IEM Chicago 2018 activations featured PC gaming setups hosted by Red Bull, console stations from AT&T, as well as demo stations by Acer Alienware and HyperX.

The official IEM Chicago website lists Acer’s Predator brand, Mountain Dew Amp GameFuel, Paysafecard , and Betway as  official partners.

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