Intel Extreme Masters Chengdu 2025 preview: Teams, prize pool & more

The Intel Extreme Masters 2025 is returning to Chengdu, a Tier 1 tournament for the best Counter-Strike 2 teams in the world to compete against each other. The event will be the last IEM tournament of the year, as the IEM has hosted tournaments in Katowice, Melbourne, Dallas, and Cologne throughout 2025.

IEM Chengdu returns to the city, as it had previously hosted the tournament in 2024. Historically, the IEM has had many host cities around the world, although Cologne, Dallas, and Katowice have been hosts since the event was rebranded from seasons to years in 2022.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Intel Extreme Masters Chengdu 2025, including its schedule, participating teams, structure, prize pool, and how to watch the event.

As the last IEM Counter-Strike 2 tournament of the year, Intel Extreme Masters Chengdu will begin on November 3. It will start with its group stage, then move to the play-offs from November 7. The event will close on November 9.

IEM Chengdu will also be one of the final tournaments of the Counter-Strike calendar before the season is concluded by the Starladder Budapest Major later in November.

Counter-Strike 2 teams are invited to the IEM Chengdu based on their VRS (Valve Regional Standings). This, of course, includes FaZe Clan, the defending champions, although not every team at the top of the rankings accepted their invite.

All teams involved with the tournament are ranked within the top 20, with the lowest (Norway’s HEROIC) being ranked 18th. Notable exceptions from the Intel Extreme Masters 2025 include Aurora Gaming and Gamer Legion, the only top 20 teams to have declined an invitation to the event.

Still, the tournament will have the best CS2 teams duking it out for top honours, and there will be plenty of matches to watch from the 3rd of November.

Those who were unable to get tickets to watch the event in person can follow it on multiple platforms:

A total of 16 teams will be competing for the Intel Extreme Masters 2025 group stage, which will take place before a live audience. These teams come from four VRS lists, Europe, Americas, Asia, and Global:

These 16 esports teams are placed into two double-elimination brackets of eight. The three best teams of each bracket then qualify for the play-offs, where they are placed into a six team elimination bracket. 

Within this bracket, the quarter and semi-finals take place, before a third place match between the two losers of the semi-finals. Then the IEM Chengdu will close with a championship match, and the victor walks away with the crown.

The total prize pool for the IEM Chengdu 2025 is $1,000,000: $300,000 for the players and $700,000 for the club share. Those ranked 13th to 16th will earn $4000 without a club share, while the 9th to 12th placed team walk away with $5000, with a $20,000 club share.

The 7th to 8th placed teams earn $7000, with a $40,000 club share. 5th to 6th ranked teams earn a mighty $12,500 and a $60,000 club share.

The 4th placed team earns $20,000 with a $70,000 club share, while those with the bronze medal in 3rd place win $30,000, plus a $90,000 club share. Finally, the silver medal position earns $50,000 with a $100,000 club share, while those with top honours triumphantly march away with a mighty $125,000 and a mouth-watering $160,000 club share.

The Intel Extreme Masters Chengdu 2025 promises to be a thrilling contest, and China hosting it yet again shows its continued expansion of esports culture. The Counter-Strike 2’s best will put on another show at the event, although it might lead to some late nights for those watching from the Americas and Europe.