One team is about to take home the Intel® Extreme Masters Season 11 championship!

The action will come to a head at IEM Katowice, where eight international League of Legends teams will do battle starting on Wednesday, February 22. If this is your first IEM or you need to catch up on IEM Season 11, read on!

What is IEM Katowice?

In its 11th season, Intel Extreme Masters is the longest running global pro gaming tour in the world. Europe’s Unicorns of Love won this season’s first event, IEM Oakland. Then Samsung Galaxy took 1st place at IEM Gyeonggi. Now, IEM Katowice will pit eight international teams against each other for all the marbles.

Why does it matter?

Teams at IEM Katowice are competing for a prize pool of $150,000 USD. Here’s the breakdown of prize money distribution:

• 1st place: $70,000
• 2nd place: $30,000
• 3rd-4th place: $15,000
• 5th-6th place: $7,000
• 7th-8th place: $3,000

What’s the format of IEM Katowice?

IEM Katowice will begin with a double elimination Group Stage taking place February 22-25. Two groups of four teams will face-off, with the top two teams advancing.   The semifinals and finals will take place February 26. The four remaining teams will play in two Best of 3 Semifinal matches, with the winners doing battle in a Best of 3 Grand Final.

How can I watch IEM Katowice?

The IEM Katowice broadcast will be available on Lolesports.

The IEM Katowice broadcast begins at 4:30 AM PST on Wednesday, February 22 and continues through Sunday, February 26.

What’s the schedule?

Note: All dates and times are in Los Angeles local time or Pacific Standard Time (PST). Match times listed below are estimates pending previous game length.

Wednesday, February 22 – Groups:

• 4:30 AM – Broadcast begins
• 5:00  AM – Group A, Match #1
• 6:20 AM – Group A, Match #2
• 7:40 AM – Group B, Match #1
• 9:00 AM – Group B, Match #2
• 10:20 AM – Group A, Winners’ Match (Bo3)

Thursday, February 23 – Groups:

• 2:30 AM – Broadcast begins
• 3:00 AM – Group B, Winners’ Match (Bo3)
• 6:30 AM – Group A, Elimination Match (Bo3)
• 10:00 AM – Group B, Elimination Match (Bo3)

Saturday, February 25 – Groups:

• 3:00 AM – Opening Ceremony
• 3:45 AM  – Showmatch
• 5:15 AM – Group A, Decider Match (Bo3)
• 9:45 AM – Group B, Decider Match (Bo3)

Sunday, February 26 – Semifinals/Finals:

• 3:00 AM – Broadcast begins
• 3:30 AM  – Semifinal #1 (Bo3)
• 7:00 AM – Semifinal #2 (Bo3)
• 10:40 AM – Final (Bo3)

Where is IEM Katowice taking place?

On February 22-23, matches will take place at the ESL Studio in Poland. On February 25-26, matches will take place live in front of an audience at the Spodek Arena in Katowice, Poland.

Which teams are participating?

• H2K
• Unicorns of Love
• G2 Esports
• M19
• Flash Wolves
• Kongdoo Monster
• ROX Tigers
• Hong Kong Esports

Which patch will IEM Katowice be on?

IEM Katowice will be played on Patch 7.3.

I want to come to IEM Katowice, can I still get tickets?

IEM Katowice tickets are still available here.

I’m attending IEM Katowice, what do I need to know?

For more information on IEM Katowice, head over to the official ESL website. If you have any additional questions about the event, email info@intelextrememasters.com.

Don’t miss any of the battles for the IEM Katowice championship starting on Wednesday, February 22 at 4:30 AM PST.