ESL Announce Intel Extreme Masters Stops in Cologne, Taipei and Katowice

ESL announce Intel Extreme Masters stops in Cologne, Taipei and Katowice

Six events in six different countries to mark the ninth season of the global pro gaming tour

(Los Angeles, CA) September 24, 2014 ESLs record-breaking elite pro gaming tour, Intel Extreme Masters, today announced that events in Cologne, Taipei and Katowice are set to round off season nine. Having already stopped in Shenzhen and Toronto this season, with preparations in full swing for Intel Extreme Masters San Jose in the iconic American SAP Center, the final three locations confirm: six events in six different countries for the tour this season.

Just three weeks after San Jose, Intel Extreme Masters Cologne (December 18th 21st 2014) kicks off in the German ESL Studios. Featuring a US$30,000 League of Legends competition, the pro gaming tour will once again welcome the worlds best gamers to the European esports capital. The corresponding event in Season eight broke ESL viewership records.

The first Intel Extreme Masters event in 2015 will take place in Taipei, the leading esports country in Southeast Asia, with both StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm and League of Legends esports competition at the Taipei Game Show from January 28th February 1st.

The season will conclude with the Intel Extreme Masters World Championship on March 12th 15th, 2015 in the Spodek Arena in Katowice, Poland. This IEM stop will be attended by eight League of Legends teams from North America, Europe and Asia (including the winners of each stop) and the best StarCraft II players of the season. The event will have over $200,000 in prize money.

Michal Blicharz, Managing Director Pro Gaming at ESL, is looking forward to the next stops in season nine of IEM: “It’s a massive milestone for us to go to two major sports arenas in one season. This is really shaping up to be the best Intel Extreme Masters season ever. I couldn’t be more excited about the rest of the tour!“

I am very excited to bring the Intel Extreme Masters World Championship back to Poland. says George Woo, Event and Sponsorships Program Manager Intel. The passion of Polish fans is unparalleled. They help elevate our events to a whole new level.

For more information concerning the tournament series, please visit www.intelextrememasters.com

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ESL is world’s largest, independent eSports brand, leading the industry across various games with numerous online and offline competitions. This includes high profile international and national leagues and tournaments such as the Intel Extreme Masters, ESL One, ESL Pro Series, Starcraft II World Championship Series, Wargaming.net League Europe, as well as grassroots amateur cups, leagues and matchmaking systems. ESL covers a broad field of services in gaming technology, event management, advertising and TV production, fully catering to the needs of the eSports ecosystem. With offices in Germany, Russia, Spain, France, Poland, Italy, China and the USA, it has a true global footprint. www.eslgaming.com

Intel Extreme Masters – Intel Extreme Masters is the ESL’s elite global pro gaming tour since 2006 with over 4 million USD given out in prize money in eight seasons. StarCraft II and League of Legends superstars from Europe, Asia and America compete at the world’s largest technological trade shows for their share of a lucrative prize purse. ESL TV, ESL’s web-TV service, presents the best games of the season live and reports directly from the offline events via Twitch TV, reaching over 20 million unique viewers each season. www.intelextrememasters.com

Intel Corporation – Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the worlds computing devices. www.intel.com

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. – Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft and the Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo franchises, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industrys most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainments track record includes seventeen #1-selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The companys online-gaming service, Battle.net, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

Riot Games Riot Games was established in 2006 by entrepreneurial gamers who believe that player-focused game development can result in great games. In 2009, Riot released its debut title League of Legends to critical and player acclaim. Over 11 million play every month. Players form the foundation of our community and its for them that we continue to evolve and improve the League of Legends experience.