ESL has announced that the IEM Global Challenge in 2020 will take place on LAN in Cologne, Germany on December 15-20 with a $500,00 USD prize pool on the line.
The IEM Global Challenge returns on December 15-20 with the hopes of being a LAN event in Cologne, Germany (Image via ESL)
The IEM Global Challenge is set to bring the eight best teams competing in ESL events in the latter half of 2020 to a Final to determine the best ESL teams at the end of 2020. Teams will earn their qualification through the remaining ESL events on the calendar such as IEM New York, DH Open Fall, IEM Beijing, and more.
Due to the already outlined online nature of many of these events, the seedings to the Global Challenge 2020 will provide different region seedings. IEM New York offers a seed to the NA team that wins the event. The DreamHack Open Fall event initially designed to the final European RMR event will also send the Europe event winner to the Global Challenge. IEM Beijing will then send the EU and NA winner, while the ESL world Rankings will send the best EU, NA and CIS team in the ESL World Rankings, with the final seed going to the second-best EU team in the ESL World Rankings. If a team ranked first in the ESL World Ranking for a region already qualifies for the Global Challenge 2020, then the ESL World Ranking will go to the next best team in that region’s ladder.
Teams that make it to the IEM Global Challenge will aim to work towards their share of the $500,00 prize pool.
First place will earn $200,000, with second place taking $100,000. The third and fourth place organizations take home $50,000 each, while fifth and sixth earn $30,000 apiece. Teams that finish in seventh and eighth place make the remaining share of $20,000 each.
ESL plan on using a bubble system for the IEM Global Challenge. The teams attending will compete from a single location in Cologne and will share the same internet and local network, a representative told Hotspawn. ESL is working with the local government, to have proper and correct local safety protocols in place to welcome teams and players back to in-person competition. Based on these regulations and per the teams’ needs and the CSPPA’s opinion, the studio and playing conditions will scale to match these requirements. ESL is still in the early planning stage and will continue to work towards making the IEM Global Challenge LAN event happen.
There is currently no information available on the venue, and ESL confirmed that fans and press would not be able to attend the event.
