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A new partnership between integrated live entertainment, sport and lifestyle company TEG Live and ESL, the world’s largest eSports company, will see the Intel® Extreme Masters (IEM) staged in Sydney this May.

The two-day event to be held in Sydney on 6th and 7th May at Qudos Bank Arena will see the world’s best pro gaming teams up against Australia’s finest in a competition of a popular First Person Shooter (FPS) game, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

The winning team will take home the IEM Sydney trophy and the lion’s share of the $260,000 prizepool.

IEM is the longest running global pro gaming competition and features the world’s best teams and players across multiple games.

The Qudos Bank Arena event will be the first time an IEM event will have been  will be staged in Australia - with Sydney will be the first stop in the 12th season of the tour.

TEG Live Managing Director Tim McGregor said the new partnership would be a launch pad for a new era in esports in Australia, stating “TEG Live has been watching the phenomenal global growth of pro gaming and waiting for the right opportunity in the Australian market (and) we are thrilled to have the world’s leading esports company ESL as a partner.

“The Intel Extreme Masters is an exceptional event that will set the benchmark in this entertainment genre in Australia. We expect there will be huge interest from both fans and brands that have been waiting for an event of this scale to finally be staged in Australia.”

Michal Blicharz, Vice President Pro Gaming at ESL, added "having been to five different continents is a badge of honor for our historic competition.

"Australia has been an attractive market for us as part of our global expansion of the IEM brand. We look forward to bringing IEM to new global audiences and making history for esports in Australia.”

Geoff Jones, Chief Executive of TEG Live’s parent company TEG, said the partnership highlights TEG’s strength as an integrated group of companies.

Jones stated “the exciting part of our partnership with ESL is that it embraces a fast emerging live entertainment segment in Australia with a young and diverse audience and huge growth potential.

“A big part of TEG’s expertise is being able to help major brands reach their key audiences and leverage a broad range of opportunities. We are really proud to be part of this new era for esports with the Intel Extreme Masters.”

The international line-up for the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament at IEM Sydney is headed by SK Gaming, the best team of 2016 and winners of two $1,000,000 Majors, including the ESL One Cologne Major in August, and runners up at the ESL Pro League Finals in Sao Paulo in November and IEM Oakland in December.

Local heroes Renegades, seen as Australia and New Zealand’s most successful team, will return to the region to compete in front of a home crowd.

Tickets go on sale to the public on Monday 13th March from 10am at www.ticketek.com.au and www.intelextrememasters.com

Images: An Intel® Extreme Masters event in Katowice, Poland. Courtesy of Intel® Extreme Masters

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