Intel Extreme Masters Global Challenge 2020 is set to bring CS:GO and players back to a LAN environment for the first time since earlier this year. Taking place across December 15 – 20, the top 8 performing teams from IEM New York 2020, IEM Beijing-Haidian 2020 and DreamHack Open Fall 2020 are invited to travel to Cologne, Germany, to compete at an Intel Grand Slam awarding tournament and their share of $500,000 USD.
IEM Global Challenge Qualification Process:
This tournament will have a total of four European, three North American, and one CIS team will be competing at IEM Global Challenge, which will play out using a four-team BO3 GSL group stage followed by a single-elimination playoff bracket and a BO5 grand final.
This is still based on how the development of the global pandemic is resolved till the year end and this could be the first LAN event after a long break from the outbreak of the Coronavirus.
The team list for the event will look as follows:
- DreamHack Open Fall EU
- ESL Ranking EU #1
- ESL Ranking CIS
- America IEM New York
- IEM Beijing EU
- ESL Ranking EU #2
- ESL Ranking NA
- IEM Beijing NA
Prize Money Distribution:
First place will take home $200,000, with second place earning $100,000. The third and fourth place will earn $50,000 each, while fifth and sixth will take home $30,000. Teams that finish in seventh and eighth place make the remaining share of $20,000 each.
The Intel Extreme Masters: Global Challenge will replace the previously announced CS:GO Rio Major. The latter was supposed to take place in November, but was canceled due to the ongoing situation involving COVID-19. Nevertheless, a subsequent event will return to the Brazil region when everything is resolved, with purchased tickets valid for the future event.
The Intel Extreme Masters New York event will proceed as planned through an online format in October. IEM Beijing-Haidian will take place next between November 6 – 22, with North American, European, Oceania, and Asian teams competing for a $250,000 prize pool.
The IEM Global Challenge will then be held on December 15 – 20. The tournament will see eight of the best teams from North America and Europe clash in Cologne, Germany for a $500,000 prize pool. Since the event is offline and features teams from different regions, it will also count towards the Intel Grand Slam—a $1 million prize given to the first team that wins 4 S-Tier events hosted by IEM or DreamHack Masters.
