Intel Extreme Masters Atlanta 2026

Intel Extreme Masters Atlanta 2026 is a premier Counter-Strike 2 tournament and a part of the ESL Grand Slam VI circuit. Hosted by ESL and sponsored by Intel, the event features 16 elite teams competing at the Georgia World Congress Center for a total prize pool of $400,000 USD and progress toward the $1,000,000 Grand Slam bonus.

Tournament Overview

< PGL Astana 2026 – CS Asia Championships 2026

Opening Round

Monday 11th of May (Times in CEST):

17.30: B8 – BetBoom
17.30: paiN – FaZe
20.00: Vitality – BC.Game
20.00: NRG – FUT
22.30: Natus Vincere – Passion UA
22.30: SINNERS – GamerLegion
01.00: Legacy – M80
01.00: Liquid – Astralis

Map Pool

• Ancient, Anubis, Dust II, Inferno, Mirage, Nuke, Overpass

Format

Group Stage

• Structure: Two double-elimination (GSL) format groups of eight teams each.
• Matches: All matches are Best of Three (Bo3).
• Progression: The top three teams from each group advance to the Playoffs:
  • Group Winners: Advance directly to the Semifinals.
  • Group Runners-up: Advance to the Quarterfinals as High Seeds.
  • Group 3rd Place: Advance to the Quarterfinals as Low Seeds.

Playoffs

• Structure: Single-Elimination bracket.
• Matches: All matches are Bo3, except for the Grand Final.
• Grand Final: Best of Five (Bo5).

Prize Pool Distribution

The $400,000 USD and Frequent Flyer Tokens are spread among the participants as seen below:

Participating Teams