ESL FaceIt Group and Intel renewed their long-standing partnership to support premier Counter-Strike esports competition worldwide.
The new multi-year deal will continue Intel ‘s work with ESL for the ESL Pro Tour and IEM events, which have been a cornerstone of the Counter-Strike esports scene. When the renewed contract begins in January 2025, EFG and Intel will have been partners for 24 years, dating back to when ESL was a separate entity. I think the deal, despite Intel’s weakened business, is another sign that the esports winter is over.
Since that time, Intel Extreme Masters events have drawn over two billion hours watched, with LAN events on five continents and over $27 million in prize money distributed. In 2024 alone, IEM broadcasts drew 162 million hours watched and nearly 160,000 attendees. I attended a Counter-Strike esports event last year in Cologne, Germany — and the sound of the 13,000-strong crowd was deafening.
“Intel has been a strong supporter of competitive gaming since the 1990s, and ESL and EFG have been essential partners in supporting the esports community throughout the decades,” said Roger Chandler, general manager of the Enthusiast PC and Workstation Segment at Intel, in a statement. “With this new multi-year agreement with EFG, Intel® is continuing its commitment to grow the industry, provide competitive opportunities, and support players with industry-leading Intel Core products.”
The renewal was announced ahead of the Grand Finals for Intel Extreme Masters Katowice, which brought 24 of the world’s best Counter-Strike 2 teams to the Spodek Arena to face off for a $1,250,000 million prize pool and a win in the race to secure the $1 mil …