History
The Intel Extreme Masters tournament series started all the way back in 2006. The first-ever IEM finals were held starting from the 15th of March till the 18th of March in 2007. Since then, a grand final has been held every year.
Partnerships
The primary sponsors for the Intel Extreme Masters include Intel. However, the IEM is organized and run by the Electronic Sports League or the ESL. ESL, owned by Turtle Entertainment, is one of the biggest pro gaming leagues in the world. Other sponsors for IEM include Acer Predator, GG.bet, Paysafecard, DHL, MTN, and DEW AMP Game Fuel.
Locations
The Intel Extreme Masters is a global tournament series. For this reason, the events for the IEM take place all around the world. The grand final for the IEM takes place in Katowice, Poland. However, the finals for qualifier tournaments or regional tournaments take place in different parts of the world, including Chicago, Shanghai, and Sydney.
Games
Originally, Counter-Strike 1.6 was the only game included in Intel Extreme Masters. However, several other video games are also added to the IEM later. Over the years, new games get added to the IEM, and some games get removed.
The list of games that were either once a part of the IEM or are a part of IEM right now include Counter-Strike 1.6, Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos, Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne, World of Warcraft, Quake Live, and StarCraft II, League of Legends. Currently, the primary game for IEM is Counter Strike Global Offensive (CS: GO).