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We are less than a month away from the Winter 2021 session of the longest-running pro gaming tour in the world, Intel Extreme Masters. This tournament marks the 86th installment of IEM and, suffice it to say, there is a lot at stake. The teams will have one last chance to buff up their ESL Pro Tour campaigns and collect a colossal amount of points for the highly anticipated Katowice 2022 championship.

Explore Intel Extreme Masters   Explore Best Buy IEM-Certified Exclusive Gaming Rigs

The 10-day competition begins on 12/2 and runs through 12/12. It features 16 of some of the world’s most overpowered Esports squads, like FaZe Clan, Fnatic, and G2. Battling over LAN, players will face off in the first-person shooter classic Counter Strike: Global Offensive for a total prize pool of $250,000.
Winning this tourney will also move the victors one step closer to the ultimate PC gaming bragging rights, Intel Grand Slam IV, which comes with a $1,000,000 bounty.

How to Watch the IEM ESL Winter 2021 Tournament

screenshot from play on twitch tv

Credit: Twitch.tv/ESL_CSGO


You can catch all the IEM Winter 2021 action at any of the following official ESL CS:GO Twitch channels:

Since this tournament is played on a global scale, the ESL Pro League also offers its streams in over a dozen other languages. You can find these other Twitch channels directly on their website.

Intel Extreme Masters ESL Winter 2021 Tournament Details

teams competing

Credit: ESL Gaming


Following the recently completed Closed Qualifiers, this event will have 16 teams duke it out in a 2 x 8 double elimination Group Stage. To get the adrenaline pumping right out the gates, the opening matches will be “Best of 1” competitions. The following games will then be played as a “Best of 3” to test their perseverance and endurance. After that, the Top 3 teams from each group will advance to the Playoffs.
The Playoffs start with a total of six teams engaging in single elimination rounds. Advancing teams will continue to knock out the competition by engaging in “Best of 3” Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals. The last two teams standing will go on to compete in a grueling “Best of 5” Grand Final.
At the end of this 10-day marathon of mayhem, the victors get to claim 1,000 EPT Points for their team rank and a 1st Place prize of $100,000. They will also score one of the four tournament wins required for Intel Grand Slam IV.

The Teams

The Winter 2021 ESL Pro Tournament features talent from around the globe and Esports organizations with years in the game. You can find the full roster of competitors below and get more information about each team.

The Prizes

  • 1st Place: $100,000 | 1,000 EPT Points
  • 2nd Place: $42,000 | 750 EPT Points
  • 3rd – 4th Place: $20,000 | 525 EPT Points
  • 5th – 6th Place: $10,000 | 350 EPT Points
  • 7th – 8th Place: $6,000 | 200 EPT Points
  • 9th – 12th Place: $5,000 | 100 EPT Points
  • 13th – 16th Place: $4,000 | 0 EPT Points

Get the Gear to Play like the Pros

Acer Predator Triton SE 14” Gaming Laptop and iBUYPOWER - Trace MR Gaming Desktop

Credit: Acer, iBUYPOWER


To honor this prestigious gaming event, Intel has partnered with Best Buy to bring us some power plays for the holidays. These gaming laptops and desktops are packed with plenty of potential to project your PC gaming prowess.
Each device features Intel’s latest 11th Gen i7 CPUs and masterful graphics processing from NVIDIA’s RTX 30 series GPUs. Shipping is free, and all products are eligible for extended returns through 1/16/2022.
Some devices even include a free item, so make sure to look through the product pages thoroughly during your browse. To save some money on your new PC or laptop, Best Buy also offers a trade-in program for your old electronics. If it’s time for an upgrade, these are some gaming-adept devices to consider.

Intel Extreme Masters–Inspired Gaming Laptops

Acer Predator Triton SE 14” Gaming Laptop
Price: $1,499.99
Specs:

  • 11th Gen Intel i7-11375H
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
  • 16GB RAM
  • 512GB SSD

Learn More at Best Buy

Acer Predator Triton SE 14” Gaming Laptop
Price: $1,349.99
Specs:

  • 11th Gen Intel i7-11375H
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050Ti
  • 16GB RAM
  • 512GB SSD

Learn More at Best Buy

Intel Extreme Masters–Inspired Gaming Desktops

iBUYPOWER Trace MR Gaming Desktop
Price: $1,499.99
Specs:

  • 11th Gen Intel i7-11700F
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB
  • 16GB RAM
  • 480GB SSD + 1TB HDD

Learn More at Best Buy

iBUYPOWER Trace MR Gaming Desktop
Price: $1,599.99
Specs:

  • 11th Gen Intel i7-11700F
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060Ti 8GB
  • 16GB RAM
  • 480GB SSD + 1TB HDD

Learn More at Best Buy

QT

Quan Tsang

A long-time bargain pirate, Quan has been scouring the digital seas for discounts and spreading the savings throughout Slickdeals for years. His Aggregate Reviews help many consumers gain comprehensive insights on the latest cutting-edge gadgetry. Despite his unconditional love for tech, Quan’s favorite deal category is actually watches. Thanks to Slickdeals, he has amassed over three dozen timepieces for his collection.