ESL FACEIT Group Reveals 2026 Intel Extreme Masters CS2 Tournaments in Brazil, US, and China

Tournament organizer ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) has officially announced that Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Counter-Strike 2 events will expand to Brazil, the United States, and China in 2026.

IEM 2026 Global Schedule

EFG revealed a full slate of new locations and dates for next year’s IEM events:

• IEM Brazil: April 13–19, 2026

• IEM USA: May 11–17, 2026

• IEM China: November 2–8, 2026

These events will each feature a $1 million USD prize pool, adding major weight to the 2026 Counter-Strike calendar. The exact cities for each stop are still to be announced.

Part of the ESL Grand Slam

Each of the new events will contribute to the ESL Grand Slam, a $1 million bonus awarded to the first team that wins three ESL Pro Tour Masters events and one Championship event (such as IEM Kraków, Cologne, or a Valve Major operated by ESL).

Earlier this year, Team Vitality became the latest Grand Slam winner after claiming the IEM Melbourne title in April.

Katowice to Kraków: A Strategic Shift

This announcement comes shortly after EFG moved its iconic IEM Katowice event to Kraków, which will host its first edition from January 27 to February 8, 2026.

ESL’s Multi-Million Dollar Investment

The new IEM stops are part of a larger ESL initiative to invest at least $22 million into the Counter-Strike ecosystem between 2025 and 2026. This funding is geared toward building a more sustainable competitive structure for Valve’s iconic FPS title.

Beyond CS2, the company also runs top-tier events in games like Dota 2 and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.