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Intel Extreme Masters Beijing 2026 closes ESL’s calendar year and lands as one of the final major Counter-Strike 2 stops before the PGL Singapore Major. Sixteen teams gather in the Chinese capital from November 2 through November 8 to split a $1,250,000 prize pool. FURIA walk in on the back of two straight tournament wins, and the group stage hands us Natus Vincere vs Falcons on day one.
Dates and Venue
The tournament runs November 2 to November 8 at the Bloomage Biotech·Biohyalux ECM Arena in Beijing, played entirely on LAN across a 360-degree stage. This is the first IEM held in Beijing since 2019. It takes the slot previously occupied by Chengdu, which hosted ESL’s Chinese stop for the last two years.
Thirteen of the sixteen teams received direct invitations based on Valve’s Regional Standings as of August 3, 2026. The remaining three qualified through closed qualifiers, two via the Global Qualifier and one via the Asian Qualifier. Spirit and Vitality both turned down their invites, so neither roster is in Beijing.
Format
Play opens with two groups of eight. Each group runs as a double-elimination GSL bracket with every single match played as a best-of-three, which is a kinder structure than the Bo1 openers some events still insist on. Six teams survive the groups.
- Group winners advance directly to the semifinals
- Runners-up enter the quarterfinals as high seeds
- Third-place finishers enter the quarterfinals as low seeds
The playoffs occupy November 6 to November 8 and use a six-team single-elimination bracket. Every series there is a best-of-three, including a third-place decider. Only the grand final stretches to a best-of-five. New readers can check our Sports Betting Glossary if terms like GSL seeding or high seed advantage need unpacking.
Groups and Opening Matches
The November 2 schedule puts four series on each side of the bracket.
| Group | Opening matches |
|---|---|
| Group A | Legacy vs The MongolZ HEROIC vs B8 FURIA vs FaZe Clan Natus Vincere vs Falcons |
| Group B | MOUZ vs TYLOO 9z vs BB Team Aurora vs Team Liquid PARIVISION vs G2 Esports |
Group A is brutal. FURIA vs FaZe Clan and NAVI vs Falcons in the same opening round means two of those four names start in the lower bracket immediately, and The MongolZ are lurking on the other side of it. We think Group A will produce the eventual champion simply because surviving it requires beating two top-tier opponents in Bo3s before the playoffs even begin.
Group B looks softer at the top but has more variance. MOUZ and G2 Esports are the names most would pencil into the playoffs, though Aurora and PARIVISION have both taken scalps off sides ranked above them this year. TYLOO playing in front of a home crowd is worth watching regardless of where they finish.
Schedule Overview
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| November 2 | Group stage begins, both groups, all Bo3 |
| November 6 | Playoffs open with the quarterfinals |
| November 8 | Third-place decider (Bo3) and grand final (Bo5) |
What to Watch
FURIA’s run is the story coming in. Two consecutive titles going into a $1.25 million event is the kind of form that shortens odds fast, and the Brazilians drew FaZe first, which is a genuine test rather than a warm-up. The absence of Spirit and Vitality removes two of the most consistent rosters in the circuit from the bracket, so the field is more open than the seeding sheet suggests. Beijing is also the last meaningful LAN read on form before the Major, which means teams here have a reason to show real preparation rather than experiment.
If you plan to bet on any of it, the Bo3 group format helps. Fewer coin-flip results, more signal. Our guide on how to bet on sports covers the basics of reading map-by-map markets, and you should know your rights as a player before depositing anywhere. Everything we publish follows our editorial policy, and we ask every reader to gamble responsibly.