IEM Katowice is well underway, and despite the prohibition of on-site attendance, ESL‘s event is proceeding at full steam and maintaining an impressive audience online. Key among the partners helping to promote the event is hardware and electronics corporation Acer, which holds no less than three IEM activations through its gaming brand, Predator.
The partnership includes the promotion of Acer Predator monitors, the final leg of the The Predator Intel Extreme Masters Trophy tour, and the launch of the Official Predator IEM PC range.
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IEM Katowice includes an exhibition of two new Acer monitors: the 32-inch Predator X32, and the Predator CG552K. The latter is a gaming monitor with an enormous 55-inch 4K OLED panel, and both have been showcased in the Spodek Arena. It is the first time either has been revealed to a European audience, after they were initially launched at CES in Las Vegas in January.
In addition, Acer has previewed the “industry-leading” gaming notebook Predator Triton 500, which boasts a 300 Hz IPS panel with a 1ms response time. The Predator X32 and CG552K will be made available in the EMEA region in Q2 and Q3 respectively. The launch date of the Triton 500 has yet to be announced.
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The Predator Intel Extreme Masters Trophy has embarked on quite the trip. Its arrival in Poland follows a six-month tour across Europe, where fans from all over the continent were offered the opportunity to partake in the “Meet the IEM Trophy Experience.”
Now, it has come to its final destination in Katowice, where the historic silverware will be hoisted by whichever team proves worthiest.
Hajo Blingen, VP of EMEA Marketing at Acer Europe, spoke of the prestige of partnering with ESL for IEM Katowice, stating: “We are very proud to be associated with the Intel Extreme Masters that brings such exclusive and special moments to eSports fans across Europe.”
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Perhaps most eye-catching of all Acer’s activations at IEM Katowice is the launch of the official Predator IEM PC range.
Acer is the exclusive global PC partner of Intel Extreme Masters events for the next two years, and has reaffirmed that commitment with the new product line, featuring the Orion 5000, the Triton 900 and 500, and the Helios 700 and 300. The full range of high-performance gaming devices is now available for sale at major etailers, retailers, and the Acer Store.
Although pre-planned fan experiences are an unfortunate victim of the removal of on-site attendance, users can still access exclusive, behind-the-scenes content and daily recaps on Predator Gaming’s Facebook and Instagram channels. Additionally, players inspired by the pros’ performances can sign up to the open beta of Planet9, Acer’s open community platform for gamers to build teams, practice together, and compete online. Planet9 is currently in open beta, with a public launch planned for Q2, 2020.
Esports Insider says: Few companies have partnered with esports events to the depth that Acer has integrated with IEM Katowice. While the prohibition of on-site attendance is unfortunate for everyone involved, the event continues to draw impressive viewership online, providing an inspiring story of the hurdles that tournament organisers can overcome.
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