Encyclopedia
Intel Extreme Masters
Series of international esports tournaments
The Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) is a series of international esports tournaments held in countries around the world. These Electronic Sports League (ESL) sanctioned events, sponsored by Intel, as of 2025 currently host events in Counter-Strike 2. Other game titles were hosted in the past, including StarCraft II and League of Legends. The body that owns the league is Savvy Games Group. The League has operated 17 seasons as of 2023. The highest tier of events, known as Masters Championships, are held in the summer in Cologne, Germany and in the new year in Poland, offering the most prize money. Other events, known as Masters events, are held in numerous cities around the globe, which have included Dallas, Shanghai and Sydney.
01History
The Intel Extreme Masters are a product of the ESL. The first tournament was hosted at Games Convention 2006 under the name "Core 2 Extreme Masters". After the Intel sponsored European tournament saw room for expansion outside of Europe, especially in North American markets, Intel provided funds for a worldwide tournament, billing it as the Intel Extreme Masters. In 2007, when established, the IEM established a format of many smaller qualifying events, leading up to a large final event that is held at CeBIT. All of the Grand Finals have been held at CeBIT. Starting in 2008, the Tournament was billed as being worldwide, boasting participants from Europe, North America, and Asia. Although Counterstrike 1.6 was the only game offered in the first season, the variety of games has increased greatly, to the four that were offered during Season 5. World of Warcraft was offered during Season 4, but was dropped for Season 5. The Season 5 Finals was held at CeBIT 2011 and included a US$130,000 prize pool.
| Game | Events hosted | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Counter-Strike | 24 | I-VI |
| Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos | 7 | I-IV |
| World of Warcraft | 11 | III-IV |
| Quake Live | 10 | IV-V |
| Defense of the Ancients | 2 | IV-V |
| Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne | 1 | V |
| StarCraft II | 14 | V-VII |
| League of Legends | 29 | V-XI |
| Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | 35 | VI-2023 |
| StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm | 13 | VIII-X |
| Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft | 2 | VIII-IX |
| Heroes of the Storm | 1 | X |
| StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void | 14 | X-2022, 2024 |
| Overwatch | 1 | XI |
| PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds | 1 | XII |
| Counter-Strike 2 | 18 | 2023- |
02IEM seasons
Season I
| Event | Dates | Game | Winner | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Championship | 15-18 March 2007 | Counter-Strike | Team Pentagram | |
| Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos | Yoan "ToD" Merlo |
Season II
| Event | Dates | Game | Winner | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 6-9 March 2008 | Counter-Strike | FnaticRC | |
| Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos | June "Lyn" Park | |||
| World Championship | Counter-Strike | Mousesports | ||
| Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos | June "Lyn" Park |
Season III
| Event | Dates | Game | Winner | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games Convention | Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos | Nihilum Plasma | ||
| Los Angeles | Counter-Strike | SK Gaming | ||
| World of Warcraft | x6tence | |||
| Montreal | 17-19 October 2008 | Counter-Strike | Fnatic | |
| World of Warcraft | SK Gaming | |||
| Global | Counter-Strike | Mousesports | ||
| Asian WoW | 13-16 November 2008 | Counter-Strike | e-STRO | |
| World of Warcraft | H O N | |||
| Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos | Manuel "Grubby" Schenkhuizen | |||
| European | Counter-Strike | mTw | ||
| World of Warcraft | iNNERFiRE | |||
| American | Counter-Strike | Made in Brazil | ||
| World of Warcraft | Trade Chat | |||
| Asian CS1.6 | 16-18 January 2009 | Counter-Strike | wNv Teamwork | |
| Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos | Li "Sky" Xiaofeng | |||
| World Championship | 3-8 March 2009 | Counter-Strike | fnatic | |
| World of Warcraft | H O N |
Season IV
| Event | Dates | Game | Winner | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GamesCom | 20-23 August 2009 | Counter-Strike | Mousesports | |
| Quake Live | Shane "rapha" Hendrixson | |||
| World of Warcraft | Ensidia | |||
| Chengdu | 1-3 October 2009 | Counter-Strike | SK Gaming | |
| Defense of the Ancients | For The Dream (ex-LGD) | |||
| Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos | Lu "Fly100%" Weiliang | |||
| Dubai | Counter-Strike | Fnatic | ||
| Quake Live | Shane "rapha" Hendrixson | |||
| European | Counter-Strike | Mousesports | ||
| Quake Live | Alexey "Cypher" Yanushevsky | |||
| World of Warcraft | SK Gaming Sansibar | |||
| American | Counter-Strike | compLexity | ||
| Quake Live | Tim "DaHanG" Fogarty | |||
| World of Warcraft | compLexity Black | |||
| Asian | Counter-Strike | WeMade FOX | ||
| Quake Live | Fan "Jibo" Zhibo | |||
| World of Warcraft | Button Bashers | |||
| World Championship | 2-6 March 2010 | Counter-Strike | Natus Vincere | |
| Quake Live | Shane "rapha" Hendrixson | |||
| World of Warcraft | Evil Geniuses |
Season V
| Event | Dates | Game | Winner | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai | Counter-Strike | fnatic | ||
| Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne | June "Lyn" Park | |||
| Defense of the Ancients | EHOME | |||
| Cologne | StarCraft II | Stefan "MorroW" Andersson, Mousesports | ||
| Quake Live | k1llsen | |||
| American | Counter-Strike | compLexity | ||
| Quake Live | Shane "rapha" Hendrixson | |||
| StarCraft II | Jian "Fenix" Morayra Alejo, fnatic | |||
| European | Counter-Strike | fnatic | ||
| Quake Live | Anton "Cooller" Singov | |||
| StarCraft II | Jeffrey "SjoW" Brusi, Team Dignitas | |||
| World Championship | 1-5 March 2011 | Counter-Strike | Natus Vincere | |
| Quake Live | Shane "rapha" Hendrixson | |||
| StarCraft II | Jung "AcE" Woo-Seo, Team StarTale | |||
| League of Legends Invitational | myRevenge |
Season VI
| Event | Dates | Game | Winner | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cologne | League of Legends | Counter Logic Gaming | ||
| StarCraft II | Lee "PuMa" Ho-Joon, Evil Geniuses | |||
| Guangzhou | League of Legends | World Elite | ||
| StarCraft II | Greg "IdrA" Fields, Evil Geniuses | |||
| Counter-Strike | fnatic | |||
| New York City | League of Legends | fnatic | ||
| StarCraft II | Park "DongRaeGu" Soo-Ho, Complexity Gaming & Team MvP | |||
| Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | SK Gaming | |||
| Kyiv | League of Legends | Moscow 5 | ||
| StarCraft II | Moon "MMA" Sung-Won, Team SlayerS | |||
| Counter-Strike | Natus Vincere | |||
| São Paulo | StarCraft II | Kim "viOLet" Dong-Hwan, Team Empire | ||
| World Championship | 6-10 March 2012 | League of Legends | Moscow 5 | |
| StarCraft II | Jang "MC" Min-Chul, SK Gaming | |||
| Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | ESC Gaming |
Season VII
| Event | Dates | Game | Winner | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gamescom | League of Legends | Moscow Five | ||
| StarCraft II | Jung "Mvp" Jong-Hyun, Incredible Miracle | |||
| Singapore | League of Legends | MeetYourMakers | ||
| StarCraft II | Ju "Sting" Hoon, Western Wolves | |||
| Cologne | League of Legends | SK Telecom T1 | ||
| Katowice | League of Legends | Gambit Gaming (ex-M5) | ||
| StarCraft II | Kang "First" Hyun-Woo, Incredible Miracle | |||
| Brazil | League of Legends | Incredible Miracle | ||
| World Championship | League of Legends | CJ Entus Blaze | ||
| StarCraft II | Choi "YoDa" Byung-Hyun, Incredible Miracle |
Season VIII
Intel Extreme Masters Season VIII| Event | Dates | Game | Winner | Runner-up | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai | 25-28 July 2013 | League of Legends | Team WE | Invictus Gaming | |
| StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm | Revival | Oz | |||
| New York | 10-13 October 2013 | StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm | Life | NaNiwa | |
| Cologne | 23-24 November 2013 | League of Legends (Pro) | Gambit Gaming | Fnatic | |
| League of Legends (Amateur) | Copenhagen Wolves | Ninjas in Pyjamas | |||
| Singapore | 28 November, 1 December 2013 | League of Legends | Invictus Gaming | CJ Entus Frost | |
| StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm | herO | san | |||
| São Paulo | 28 January, 1 February 2014 | League of Legends | Millenium | paiN Gaming | |
| StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm | herO | MC | |||
| Cologne | 13-16 February 2014 | StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm | HerO | Polt | |
| World Championship Katowice |
13-16 March 2014 | ||||
| Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft | Gnimsh | Artosis | |||
| League of Legends | KT Rolster Bullets | Fnatic | |||
| StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm | sOs | herO |
Season IX
Intel Extreme Masters Season IX| Event | Dates | Game | Winner | Runner-up | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shenzhen | 16-20 July 2014 | Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft | Amaz | Azeri | |
| League of Legends | Team WE | EDward Gaming | |||
| StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm | TaeJa | Solar | |||
| Toronto | 28-31 August 2014 | StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm | Flash | Zest | |
| San Jose | 6-7 December 2014 | League of Legends | Cloud9 | Unicorns of Love | |
| StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm | herO | Rain | |||
| Cologne | 18-21 December 2014 | League of Legends | Gambit Gaming | Counter Logic Gaming | |
| Taipei | 28 January, 1 February 2015 | League of Legends | yoe Flash Wolves | Taipei Assassins | |
| StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm | Life | Maru | |||
| World Championship Katowice |
12-15 March 2015 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Fnatic | Ninjas in Pyjamas | |
| League of Legends | Team SoloMid | Team WE | |||
| StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm | Zest | Trap |
Season X
Intel Extreme Masters Season X| Event | Dates | Game | Winner | Runner-up | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shenzhen | 16-20 July 2015 | Heroes of the Storm | MVP Black | Virtus.pro | |
| StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm | Classic | PartinG | |||
| Gamescom | 5-9 August 2015 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Team EnVyUs | Team SoloMid | |
| StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm | INnoVation | soO | |||
| San Jose | 21-22 November 2015 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Natus Vincere | Team SoloMid | |
| League of Legends | Origen | Counter Logic Gaming | |||
| Cologne | 18-20 December 2015 | League of Legends | ESC Ever | Qiao Gu Reapers | |
| Taipei | 29 January, 2 February 2016 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | The MongolZ | Renegades | |
| StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void | sOs | ByuN | |||
| World Championship Katowice |
4-6 March 2016 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Fnatic | Luminosity Gaming | |
| League of Legends | SK Telecom T1 | Fnatic | |||
| StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void | Polt | Snute |
Season XI
Intel Extreme Masters Season XI| Event | Dates | Game | Winner | Runner-up | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai | 28-31 July 2016 | StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void | uThermal | Neeb | |
| Oakland | 19-20 November 2016 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Ninjas in Pyjamas | SK Gaming | |
| League of Legends | Unicorns Of Love | Flash Wolves | |||
| Gyeonggi | 17-18 December 2016 | League of Legends | Samsung Galaxy | Kongdoo Monster | |
| Overwatch | LuxuryWatch Red | Lunatic-Hai | |||
| StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void | INnoVation | Stats | |||
| World Championship Katowice |
25-26 February & 3-5 March 2017 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Astralis | FaZe Clan | |
| League of Legends | Flash Wolves | G2 Esports | |||
| StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void | TY | Stats |
Season XII
Intel Extreme Masters Season XII| Event | Dates | Game | Winner | Runner-up | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 6-7 May 2017 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | SK Gaming | FaZe Clan | |
| Shanghai | 27-30 July 2017 | Starcraft 2 | Rogue | herO | |
| Oakland | 18-19 November 2017 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Ninjas in Pyjamas | FaZe Clan | |
| PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds | *aAa* Gaming | Tempo Storm | |||
| PyeongChang | 5-7 February 2018 | Starcraft 2 | Scarlett | sOs | |
| Katowice | 2-4 March 2018 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Fnatic | FaZe Clan | |
| Starcraft 2 | Rogue | Classic |
Season XIII
Intel Extreme Masters Season XVII| Event | Venue | Dates | Game | Champion | Runner-up | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | Qudos Bank Arena | 1 - 6 May 2018 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Faze Clan | Astralis | US$250,000 |
| Shanghai | Shanghai New International Expo Center | 1 - 6 August 2018 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | NRG Esports | TYLOO | US$250,000 |
| Chicago | Jeunesse Arena | 6 - 11 November 2018 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Astralis | Team Liquid | US$250,000 |
| World Championship | Spodek Arena | 13 February - 3 March 2019 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Astralis | ENCE | US$1,000,000 |
| StarCraft II | soO | Stats | US$400,000 |
Season XIV
Intel Extreme Masters Season XIV| Event | Venue | Dates | Game | Champion | Runner-up | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | Qudos Bank Arena | 29 April, 5 May 2019 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Team Liquid | Fnatic | US$250,000 |
| Chicago | United Center | 18, 21 July 2019 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Team Liquid | ENCE | US$250,000 |
| Beijing | Beijing University Students' Stadium | 7, 10 November 2019 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Astralis | 100 Thieves | US$250,000 |
| World Championship | Spodek Arena | 24 February, 1 March 2020 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Natus Vincere | G2 Esports | US$500,000 |
| StarCraft II | Rogue | Zest | US$400,000 |
Season XV
Intel Extreme Masters Season XV| Event | Venue | Dates | Game | Champion | Runner-up | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global Challenge | Online | 15, 20 December 2020 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Astralis | Team Liquid | US$500,000 |
| World Championship | 16, 28 February 2021 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Gambit Esports | Virtus.pro | US$1,000,000 | |
| StarCraft II | Reynor | Zest | US$250,000 | |||
| Melbourne | 17, 22 August 2021 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Cancelled | US$250,000 | ||
Season XVI
Intel Extreme Masters Season XVI| Event | Venue | Dates | Game | Champion | Runner-up | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Online | 3, 13 June 2021 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Gambit Esports | OG | US$250,000 |
| Cologne | Lanxess Arena | 6, 18 July 2021 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Natus Vincere | G2 Esports | US$1,000,000 |
| Winter | Quality Hotel™ Globe | 2, 12 December 2021 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Team Vitality | Ninjas in Pyjamas | US$250,000 |
| Katowice | Spodek Arena | 15, 22 February 2022 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | FaZe Clan | G2 Esports | US$1,000,000 |
| StarCraft II | Serral | Reynor | US$500,000 |
Year 2022
Intel Extreme Masters 2022| Event | Venue | Dates | Game | Champion | Runner-up | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas | Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center | 30 May, 5 June 2022 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Cloud9 | ENCE | US$250,000 |
| Cologne | Lanxess Arena | 5, 17 July 2022 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | FaZe Clan | Natus Vincere | US$1,000,000 |
| Rio Major | Jeunesse Arena | 31 October, 13 November 2022 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Outsiders | Heroic | US$1,250,000 |
| Katowice | Spodek Arena | 31 January, 12 February 2023 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | G2 Esports | Heroic | US$1,000,000 |
| StarCraft II | Oliveira | Maru | US$500,000 |
Year 2023
Intel Extreme Masters 2023| Event | Venue | Dates | Game | Champion | Runner-up | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katowice | Spodek Arena | 4 - 12 February 2023 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | G2 Esports | Heroic | US$1,000,000 |
| Rio | Jeunesse Arena | 17, 23 April 2023 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Team Vitality | Heroic | US$250,000 |
| Dallas | Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center | 29 May, 4 June 2023 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | ENCE | MOUZ | US$250,000 |
| Cologne | Lanxess Arena | 25 July, 6 August 2023 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | G2 Esports | ENCE | US$1,000,000 |
| Sydney | Aware Super Theater | 16, 22 October 2023 | Counter-Strike 2 | FaZe Clan | Complexity Gaming | US$250,000 |
Year 2024
Intel Extreme Masters 2024| Event | Venue | Dates | Game | Champion | Runner-up | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katowice | Spodek Arena | 3 - 11 February 2024 | Counter-Strike 2 | Team Spirit | FaZe Clan | US$1,000,000 |
| StarCraft II | Serral | Maru | US$500,000 | |||
| Chengdu | Chengdu Performing Arts Center | 8, 14 April 2024 | Counter-Strike 2 | FaZe Clan | MOUZ | US$250,000 |
| Dallas | Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center | 27 May, 2 June 2024 | Counter-Strike 2 | G2 Esports | Team Vitality | US$250,000 |
| Cologne | Lanxess Arena | 7, 18 August 2024 | Counter-Strike 2 | Team Vitality | Natus Vincere | US$1,000,000 |
| Rio | Farmasi Arena | 7, 13 October 2024 | Counter-Strike 2 | Natus Vincere | MOUZ | US$250,000 |
Year 2025
Intel Extreme Masters 2025| Event | Venue | Dates | Game | Champion | Runner-up | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katowice | Spodek Arena | 29 January, 9 February 2025 | Counter-Strike 2 | Team Vitality | Team Spirit | US$1,250,000 |
| Melbourne | Rod Laver Arena | 21, 27 April 2025 | Counter-Strike 2 | Team Vitality | Team Falcons | US$1,000,000 |
| Dallas | Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center | 19, 25 May 2025 | Counter-Strike 2 | Team Vitality | MOUZ | US$1,000,000 |
| Cologne | Lanxess Arena | 23 July, 3 August 2025 | Counter-Strike 2 | Team Spirit | MOUZ | US$1,000,000 |
| Chengdu | Chengdu Financial City Performance Center | 3, 9 November 2025 | Counter-Strike 2 | FURIA | Team Vitality | US$1,000,000 |
Year 2026
Intel Extreme Masters 2026| Event | Venue | Dates | Game | Champion | Runner-up | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kraków | Tauron Arena Kraków | 27 January, 8 February 2026 | Counter-Strike 2 | Team Vitality | Furia Esports | US$1,250,000 |
| Rio | Farmasi Arena | 14 April, 19 April 2026 | Counter-Strike 2 | Team Vitality | Team Spirit | US$1,000,000 |
| Atlanta | Georgia World Congress Center | 11 May, 15 May 2026 | Counter-Strike 2 | Natus Vincere | GamerLegion | US$1,000,000 |
| Cologne Major | Lanxess Arena | 2 June, 21 June 2026 | Counter-Strike 2 | Team Falcons | FURIA Esports | US$1,250,000 |
| Beijing | Wukesong Arena | 2 November, 8 November 2026 | Counter-Strike 2 | US$1,000,000 |
03Format
IEM utilizes a fair number of offline qualifiers. During Season 5, qualifiers were held for North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia regions. Those who qualify for the finals are placed into two groups of six, of which the top two advance. The first place member of each group goes directly to the semifinals, and the second and third place members go into the quarterfinals.
04Organisation
The Intel Extreme Masters are run by the ESL, part of the ESL FACEIT Group which is owned by Savvy Games Group. Savvy Games Group is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and is owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Intel Extreme Masters”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Podczas Intel Extreme Masters (8464381085).jpg by Piotr Drabik from Poland, CC BY 2.0
- Intel Extreme Masters Kraków 2026.jpg by Krigore, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Spectators at IEM Toronto 2014.jpg by Intel Free Press, CC BY-SA 2.0
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