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Intel Extreme Masters Beijing 2026 closes out ESL’s CS2 season, and it does so with a $1,250,000 prize pool on the line. The tournament runs from November 2 to 8 at the Bloomage Biotech Biohyalux ECM Arena in Beijing, China, with ESL FACEIT Group running the show alongside the Beijing Esports Industry Development Association. Sixteen teams, two groups, one six-team playoff bracket.
It has been seven years since IEM last came to the Chinese capital. The 2019 edition went to Astralis, who swept 100 Thieves 3–0 in the final and finished the entire event without dropping a map. For the past two seasons the Chinese stop lived in Chengdu, so the return to Beijing carries some weight for the regional scene.
Prize Pool Breakdown
The $1,250,000 is split two ways at every placement: money that goes directly to the players, and a club share paid to the organization. The champions collect $360,000 in total, of which $125,000 goes to the roster and $235,000 to the club. Even the four teams eliminated in 13th-16th place walk away with something, though in their case the full $4,000 is player money with no club share attached.
| Place | Total (USD) | Player Prize | Team Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | $360,000 | $125,000 | $235,000 |
| 2nd | $210,000 | $50,000 | $160,000 |
| 3rd | $160,000 | $30,000 | $130,000 |
| 4th | $120,000 | $20,000 | $100,000 |
| 5th-6th | $87,500 | $12,500 | $75,000 |
| 7th-8th | $54,500 | $7,000 | $47,500 |
| 9th-12th | $25,000 | $5,000 | $20,000 |
| 13th-16th | $4,000 | $4,000 | $0 |
The gap between first and second is where the real pressure sits. A grand final loss costs a team $150,000 compared to lifting the trophy, and the club share alone swings by $75,000. Teams that bomb out of groups still clear expenses, more or less, but nothing beyond that.
The 16 Teams
Thirteen spots were handed out through the Valve Regional Standings. Ten of those were straight VRS invites: Falcons, FURIA, MOUZ, Legacy, Natus Vincere, G2 Esports, Aurora, FaZe Clan, BB Team and PARIVISION. Three regional VRS slots went to 9z (South America), The MongolZ (Asia) and Team Liquid (North America).
The remaining three qualified the hard way. B8 and HEROIC came through the global closed qualifier, while TYLOO took the Asia qualifier slot and will play in front of a home crowd.
Group A
- Falcons
- FURIA
- Natus Vincere
- FaZe Clan
- Legacy
- The MongolZ
- HEROIC
- B8
Group B
- MOUZ
- G2 Esports
- Aurora
- PARIVISION
- 9z
- BB Team
- Team Liquid
- TYLOO
Group A is the heavier half on paper. Falcons, FURIA, NAVI and FaZe in the same bracket means at least two recognisable names are getting squeezed toward the bottom four. The TipsGG editorial team reckons Group B is where the surprises come from, with PARIVISION and Aurora both capable of knocking a bigger roster out.
A 360-Degree Stage and 45,000 Fans
ESL is building the matches on a stage surrounded by spectators on every side, a setup the company has not used since the Rio Major in 2022. Organizers are expecting more than 45,000 fans across the week, which would make this the biggest standalone IEM ever held in Asia. Doors are open on match days, including three days of group stage action rather than playoffs only.
The Last Six-Team Playoff
Beijing is the final ESL CS2 event built around a six-team playoff bracket. From next season, Intel Extreme Masters tournaments expand to eight playoff teams, which means the two group stage survivors who would normally go home empty-handed get another life. For now, finishing third in your group still ends your tournament.
Grand Slam Implications
This is the third stop of ESL Grand Slam Season VII, following IEM Atlanta and ESL Pro League Season 24. The champion banks a point in the standings on top of the $360,000, which matters for any organization chasing the Grand Slam bonus down the line.
A Brutal Calendar
The scheduling here is rough. The PGL Masters Bucharest final lands on October 31, just two days before the first serve in Beijing, so several rosters will fly in from Romania with no rest. And BLAST Rivals Hong Kong starts the day after the Beijing grand final. Teams deep in both brackets are looking at close to three straight weeks of tier-one CS2 across two continents. Expect fatigue to show up in the numbers, particularly in long three-map series late in the week.
Betting on IEM Beijing 2026
Markets for a tournament like this move fast, especially with travel fatigue and short preparation windows skewing form. If you are new to reading CS2 odds, our guide on how to bet on sports covers the fundamentals, and the sports betting glossary explains the terminology you will run into on map handicaps and round totals. We hold ourselves to clear standards on what we publish, documented in our editorial policy, and every bettor should know their rights as a player before depositing anywhere. Set limits, stick to them and gamble responsibly.
First matches begin November 2. The grand final, and the $360,000 top prize, is decided on November 8.