ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) has announced that Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) will return to the United States in 2027 following the success of this year’s event in Atlanta.
The next year’s IEM event in the United States of America will be a part of the more than $11,450,000 allocated for teams and players in the 2027 edition of ESL Pro Tour.
IEM USA 2027 will take place from April 5-11, 2027. Teams will arrive on April 3, while media activities are scheduled for April 4. The event will be held in the United States, with the host city and venue yet to be announced.
The tournament will feature 16 teams competing in a group stage followed by arena playoffs. The group stage will consist of two groups of eight teams each using a double-elimination format. Four teams from each group will advance to the playoffs, creating an eight-team playoff bracket.
The playoffs will be played in front of a live arena audience. The playoff schedule includes four quarterfinals on Friday, two semifinals on Saturday, and a third-place match and grand final on Sunday.
EFG has also confirmed that the event will carry a total prize pool of $1 million, split between prize money for teams and club rewards.
ESL FACEIT Group has specifically mentioned for participating organisations that the 2027 Annual Club Incentive program will include playoff viewership in its calculations. The combined average concurrent viewership for the entire tournament, including the playoffs, will be used to determine the distribution of incentive points.
This is something Team Spirit lost during the Atlanta event due to exceeding the maximum allowed number of tournament absences, causing its $420,550 share to be completely deducted from the overall ACI distribution.
IEM USA is one of seven Counter-Strike events currently scheduled as part of the ESL Pro Tour 2027 calendar, joining IEM Kraków in January, ESL Pro League Season 25 in March, and several other ESL Pro Tour events throughout the year.
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