Esports tournament organiser ESL has announced that IEM China will be hosted in Chengdu, China.
The $250,000 (~£195,000) prize pool event will be held April 8th – 14th 2024. The playoffs, which take place April 12th – 14th, will occur live at the Wuliangye Chengdu Performing Arts Centre. The organiser previously announced the return of IEM China back in September 2023
IEM China returns for the first time since 2019, with the event then held in the Beijing University Students’ Stadium, Beijing. The event is also not the only tier one CS2 tournament scheduled to place in China this year as the second Valve Major of 2024 will be the very first Chinese Major. The Major will be hosted by Perfect World in Shanghai.
Chengdu has become somewhat of a hub for esports events over the last 12 months with various international events taking place in the city. Alongside IEM Chengdu, the city will host this year’s League of Legends MSI.
IEM China is a large part of the Intel Extreme Masters circuit, one of the longest-running global pro gaming tours in the world. The Chinese tournament will boast 16 teams, 10 of which have already been confirmed by being partnered teams or through the ESL Rankings. Lynn Vision Gaming has also secured its spot by winning the Chinese Closed Qualifier.
The remaining five spots will be determined through regional qualifiers, with one team making it from each region; Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Oceania.
The teams will compete for the lions share of a $250,000 (~£195,000) prize pool and a direct invite to the IEM Cologne 2024 Group Stage.
Winning the event will also count towards the Intel Grand Slam, a $1,000,000 (~£785,000) prize awarded directly to the players that win four tier-one events organised by ESL during a window of 10 consecutive tournaments. These tournaments include Intel Extreme Masters events, ESL Pro Leagues, and ESL ran Majors.
The Head of Game Ecosystems, Counter-Strike at ESL FACEIT Group, Marc Winther, spoke about what it means to have the Intel Extreme Masters return China, he stated: “We’re thrilled to be bringing Intel Extreme Masters back to China for the first time since 2019.
“China’s esports community is renowned for its vibrancy and passion, and we’re eager to showcase this as well as emerging talent from the region on a global scale. This return to China reaffirms our commitment to fostering esports growth in the region and recognizes the immense support from Chinese gamers.”
