Event organiser ESL has announced that it will headline the Melbourne Esports Open with IEM Melbourne.
The event will take place over August 22nd-23rd at the Rod Laver Arena.
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IEM Melbourne is a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament that boasts a prize pool of $250,000 (£193,498.75). This is the fourth year of ESL taking its IEM product to Australia, but it’s the first instance of Melbourne acting as the home city.
Michal “CARMAC” Blicharz, Vice President Pro Gaming at ESL, commented on the event in a release: “Australian Counter-Strike fans are second to none, and when we had the opportunity to bring IEM to Melbourne, to headline the Melbourne Esports Open, it was a perfect fit. Australians have always generated atmospheres that could not be matched by anything else. Coming back for 2020 was a top priority, and the Melbourne Esports Open was a natural match. It will open Intel Extreme Masters to a broader audience and provide CS:GO fans a richer event experience.”
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IEM Melbourne will also comprise of signing sessions with professional players and giveaways from the event’s partners and sponsors. The event is part of MTG’s ESL Pro Tour, a circuit that connects all DreamHack and ESL CS:GO competitions.
Santhosh Viswanathan, Managing Director of Sales and Marketing Group, Asia Pacific and Japan Territory at Intel, added: “We’re excited for IEM to headline the Melbourne Esports Open. By bringing these two events together, we’re taking what was already Australia’s biggest esports weekend and making it an even bigger spectacle for fans. We’re also looking forward to showcasing Intel’s gaming ecosystem of products that top esports leagues use to deliver a world-class experience to gamers as well as the gaming community.”
Esports Insider says: Moving IEM from Sydney to Melbourne is, naturally, a risk, but considering the city already has its own esports open, it’s safe to assume there’s an audience for the industry there. It’ll be worth keeping an eye on how the very first IEM Melbourne goes down in August.