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IEM Sydney announced for CS:GO with $200,000 prize pool, SK Gaming and Renegades confirmed

Zorine Te

ESL has announced it is bringing the Intel Extreme Masters tournaments to Australia, beginning with IEM Sydney. The tournament is scheduled to run May 6-7 at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, which can seat 18,200 spectators. The event will feature top Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams from around the world who will compete in a tournament with a prize pool of AUD$260,000 (~$197,000).

SK Gaming and Renegades so far have been confirmed to attend. Renegades’ roster is primarily made up of Australian players, who will be returning to the region to play in front of a home crowd. Four more international teams will be announced closer to date.

IEM Sydney marks the beginning of IEM’s 12th season, and serves as the first location for the global tour. Tickets to the event will go on sale to the general public from March 13 at 10AM AEDT via Ticketek. Telstra customers will be able to access ticket sales 48 hours earlier during a pre-sale that will start at 9AM AEDT on Thursday, March 9 and run until Sunday, March 12 at 8PM AEST. ESL CS:GO Fan Club members will also have access to the pre-sale.

IEM comes to Australia for the first time. (ESL)
IEM comes to Australia for the first time. (ESL)

In addition to the tournament, the event will host meet and greet opportunities, player signing sessions, and giveaways for attendees.

“Having been to five different continents is a badge of honor for our historic competition,” said VP of pro gaming at ESL Michal Blicharz. “Australia has been an attractive market for us as part of our global expansion of the Intel Extreme Masters brand. We look forward to bringing Intel Extreme Masters to new global audiences and making history for esports in Australia.”

“Bringing an industry-leading event to Australia is an exciting opportunity as we have some of the most passionate esports enthusiasts in the world,” said ESL Australia’s managing director Nick Vanzetti. “The prestige and legacy the Intel Extreme Masters brand brings mixed with the world’s best players is the perfect recipe for a historic weekend in esports.”

IEM Katowice’s CS:GO tournament concluded this weekend, with Astralis beating FaZe Clan in the grand final. Yahoo Esports was present at the event, and you can check out our interviews and more on our CS:GO hub.

Zorine is excited to see IEM go to her home city. Follow her on Twitter @ztharli