We are excited to share that Intel® Extreme Masters will be coming to Melbourne, Australia, across April 21-27, 2025, with a live arena Playoffs occurring on the weekend of April 25-27 in Rod Laver Arena. Featuring sixteen of the world’s best Counter-Strike 2 teams, this year marks the first time IEM has been hosted in Melbourne. The tournament heralds the return of IEM to Australia for the fifth time, following a sold-out edition in 2023, which saw 20,000 fans in attendance over the three day event hosted in Sydney’s Super Aware Theatre.
Summary:
- Intel® Extreme Masters Melbourne 2025 is set to be the largest esports event & tournament ever hosted in Australia
- Fans can watch the Playoffs live in Melbourne across April 25-27, 2025, with the group stages taking place from April 21-23.
- Tickets will be available for purchase at 2PM AEDT, Thursday, January 23 from AU$189 for 3-Day general admission tickets via Ticketek
- 16 teams from across the globe will compete against each other for the title, and USD $1,000,000 in Total Winnings.
Format & More
Sixteen of the world’s best Counter-Strike 2 teams will make their way to Melbourne to compete in the group stages (April 21-23). Teams will be invited based on Valve Regional Standings, with the invite cut-off happening based on the first available ranking update in February, 2025. The top six teams who make their way through the double-elimination groups will advance to the playoffs, playing live in Melbourne across April 25-27. Fans will be treated to the highest level of Counter-Strike 2, with a front row seat for every victory and defeat.
Group Stage
The Group Stage of IEM Melbourne 2025 will feature 16 invited teams, based on the Valve Regional Standings (“VRS”) system (10 Global, 2 Europe, 2 Americas, 2 Asia). Teams are split in two double-elimination groups, with all matches to be played in a best-of-three format.
Playoffs
The IEM Melbourne 2025 Playoffs will take place live in Rod Laver Arena, featuring the top 6 teams from the Group Stage. Quarterfinals and Semifinals will be played in a best-of-three format, with the Playoffs Grand Final played as a best-of-five.
Prize Money Distribution
The IEM Melbourne 2025 prize distribution can be found below:
ESL Pro Tour - Masters Events
Intel® Extreme MastersMelbourne & Dallas & Chengdu
Place | Prize Money | Club Reward |
---|---|---|
1. | $125,000 | $160,000 |
2. | $50,000 | $100,000 |
3-4. | $25,000 | $80,000 |
5-6. | $12,500 | $60,000 |
7-8. | $7,000 | $40,000 |
9-12. | $5,000 | $20,000 |
13-16. | $4,000 | - |
Total Winnings: $1,000,000
|
“The Australian crowd consistently brings something special to our Counter-Strike events - the atmosphere in the arena is always unique, filled with energy and fun, and that comes across online as well. Fans all around the world look forward to seeing what the Aussie crowd will get up to.”
“We’ve always wanted to bring an IEM event to Melbourne, Australia’s historic home of sport, and after an attempt in 2020 that was thwarted by a global pandemic, we are excited to finally bring the tournament to the city."
Marc Winther, Director Game Ecosystems - Counter-Strike, at ESL FACEIT Group.
IEM Melbourne Tickets
On Thursday, January 23, at 2PM AEDT, IEM Melbourne 2025 tickets will go on-sale via Ticketek, with 3-Day tickets available from AU$189. Additional ticket info is available via pro.eslgaming.com/tour/cs/melbourne
Outro
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