The Intel Extreme Masters will be back with another season, featuring StarCraft II, CS:GO and League of Legends. For the first time in IEM history, the prize pool will exceed US$1,000.000!
Season 11 will have four stops where the best teams and players from all over the world will compete:
SHANGHAI, JULY 28TH - 31ST, 2016
Intel Extreme Masters season 11 will kick off in Shanghai at Chinajoy. This will be the third Intel Extreme Masters being held in Shanghai, having visited the city previously in seasons 6 and 8.
North America will once again be on the Intel Extreme Masters map. After two successful years at the SAP Center in San Jose we are expanding to an even bigger venue, the Oracle Arena in Oakland, home of the Golden State Warriors.
GYEONGGI, DECEMBER 17TH - 18TH, 2016
After eight years absence, we are happy to be coming back to South Korea, to the city of Gyeonggi. The professional South Korean scene excels in both of these games and we are looking forward to seeing top-notch competitive action. Gyeonggi will mark the first stadium event in Asia for Intel Extreme Masters.
KATOWICE, MARCH, 2017
Concluding season 11 will be the World Championship returning to the city which has become a true home to Intel Extreme Masters - Katowice, Poland. The world’s best teams and players in the world will once again compete on the big stage in front of thousands of roaring fans.
While the games for each stop have yet to be announced, it is save to assume that Gyeonggi will feature SC2 and LoL.
Edit May 27: SC2 and LoL confirmed for Gyeonggi while all 3 games will be at Katowice. Source
Looks like only 2 SC2 events and the World Championship, which will probably be the WCS Winter Championship again. Still, nice to see one of the 3 organizers who still consistently host premier SC2 events sticking around.
On May 12 2016 01:37 Wrath wrote: The real question is: Who will go to Katowice in 2017? Will the winner of Goyang make it there? Or Blizzard will do its magic once again?
That's not even close to the real question. The real question is how the hell will I afford a trip to SK in december 2016.
On May 12 2016 01:57 Nakajin wrote: Yay, IEM is back!
By the way does that mean that the global event they annonce is going to be after blizcon? I assume it is going to be the one in Goyang.
I believe Goyang is region locked as Korea.
So basically unless the Global event they were talking about is a Dreamhack, it's either Shanghai or after Blizzcon....is it too early to start another round of "Fuck the Welfare Circus Series"?
Guys, be realistic! Go Yang will be region locked so no Koreans will be allowed to participate. It is a smart way how to teach the Korean public that watching not the highest level of Starcraft can be fun as well and they might even start observing some promising foreigners after that tournament.
Glad to see IEM back again, although I do miss the old way the circuit worked. Goyang is gonna be hype! And Esports at the Oracle sounds awesome as well.