ESL FACEIT Group has partnered with the Beijing Esports Industry Development Association to organise Intel Extreme Masters Beijing 2026, a Tier 1 CS2 tournament set to take place from November 2-8, 2026, in Beijing, China.
The tournament is being held as part of the “Beijing Esports” initiative and will be hosted at the Bloomage Biotech·Biohyalux ECM Arena in Wukesong, Haidian District.
This is the first time Intel Extreme Masters has returned to Beijing since 2019. The event will feature 16 of the world’s best Counter-Strike 2 teams competing live in front of fans for a total prize pool of $1.25 million. Teams will also compete for the ESL Pro Tour Masters trophy and important points in the ESL Grand Slam VII race.
In its official announcement, ESL FACEIT Group specifically mentioned that the tournament will use a 360-degree stage design for the first time since the IEM Rio Major 2022. On top of that, the company expects more than 45,000 fans to attend the event, which would make it the largest standalone IEM event ever held in Asia.
The event will include three days of live group stage matches and playoff matches. Fans attending the tournament can also take part in partner activities, meet players during signing sessions with all participating teams and enjoy several on-site activities throughout the event.
Marc Winther, Director of Esports Counter-Strike 2 at ESL FACEIT Group, said, “Over the past years, we’ve experienced the incredible passion and energy of Chinese fans firsthand. With IEM Beijing 2026, we’re excited to take things to the next level through a 360-degree stage design and a range of fan activations, while further deepening our commitment to the region. Together with the Beijing Esports Industry Development Association, we look forward to welcoming IEM’s largest live audience in Asia to date and creating new opportunities for fans and partners.”
The partnership announcement adds to a series of recent moves by ESL FACEIT Group to expand its global esports reach. Earlier this month, the company teamed up with TikTok to bring vertical livestream esports broadcasts to fans worldwide. Before that, EFG also signed a deal with KICK, granting the platform non-exclusive English-language streaming rights for its major Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 tournaments.
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