Deadspin | Action gets underway at $300K IEM Chengdu event

The $300,000 Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Chengdu tournament kicked off on Monday in China, drawing sixteen elite Counter-Strike 2 teams to compete for a top prize of $125,000. Hosted at the SAP Center in San Jose, CA, the event features a double-elimination group stage that divides the teams into two groups of eight. All matches during the group stage are played as best-of-three, emphasizing both strategy and endurance. Group winners earn direct spots in the playoff semifinals, while second-place finishers enter the quarterfinals as high seeds. Third-place teams also advance to the quarterfinals but with lower seeding, creating a fierce battle for playoff positioning. The playoffs themselves begin Friday with a single-elimination format; matches remain best-of-three until the grand final on Sunday, which is a best-of-five showdown. On the opening day in Group A’s upper-bracket quarterfinals, Team Falcons convincingly swept TYLOO, while Team Spirit also secured a clean 2-0 win over paiN Gaming. The MongolZ edged out HEROIC 2-1 in a tightly contested match, and Astralis overcame Natus Vincere by the same score. Meanwhile, Group B saw FURIA dominate Lynn Vision Gaming, and G2 Esports similarly swept 3DMAX. MOUZ took down FaZe Clan 2-0, and Team Vitality came from behind to beat Virtus.pro 2-1. Tuesday will continue with eight more matches, including upper-bracket semifinals such as The MongolZ against Astralis and Team Falcons versus Team Spirit. Lower-bracket quarterfinals also take place, featuring HEROIC versus Natus Vincere and TYLOO against paiN Gaming in Group A. Group B’s upper-bracket semifinals pit FURIA against G2 Esports and MOUZ against Team Vitality, while the lower bracket has Lynn Vision Gaming facing 3DMAX and FaZe Clan battling Virtus.pro. The prize pool distribution rewards teams progressively, with the champion taking home $125,000, the runner-up receiving $50,000, and third place earning $30,000. Subsequent standings earn between $20,000 and $4,000, ensuring all competitors receive some financial compensation. With such stakes and the quality of participating teams, the IEM Chengdu tournament promises intense competition and thrilling matchups as teams vie for prestige and prize money in this high-profile esports event.