Intel Extreme Master Cologne drew a file 39,000 folks to look at six of the world’s finest Counter-Strike 2 gamers sq. off over a $1 million prize pool.
That file was set because the weekend occasion hit an exciting conclusion as Crew Vitality emerged as Champions within the Grand Closing, narrowly beating Navi in additional time with a rating of 16 to 14. It was the primary time I used to be capable of watch the occasion in individual, and I interviewed Michal Blicharz, one of many authentic creators of the occasion, which is named the Cathedral of Counter-Strike.
Set in opposition to the backdrop of the long-lasting LANXESS arena, this yr’s IEM Cologne introduced collectively six of the world’s finest Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) groups within the playoffs—MOUZ, G2 Esports, Crew Vitality, FaZe Clan, SAW, and Natus Vincere—as they vied for the coveted trophy and a share of the $1 million prize pool.
The event drew 39,000 attendees to the Cathedral of Counter-Strike throughout three days, whereas over 1,050,000 viewers tuned in on-line globally to witness Crew Vitality declare their first ever IEM Cologne trophy, marking IEM Cologne 2024 because the most-watched non-Main Counter-Strike competitors of the yr.
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Crew Vitality’s journey to the Championship was paved with hard-fought victories in opposition to the world’s finest squads. The group confronted fierce competitors, together with MOUZ and G2 Esports, and their Grand Closing best-of-five sequence in opposition to Natus Vincere resulted in an intense 3-1 victory.
The win marks Crew Vitality’s first IEM Cologne title, and a long-awaited victory lap for group captain Dan “apEX” Madesclaire, who appeared on the LANXESS area’s first-ever IEM occasion in 2015. With the victory, Crew Vitality earned a Championship-level win, bringing them one step nearer to claiming an Intel Grand Slam and its $1 million prize. Inside, it was loud with screams, chants and roars. The manufacturing cameras for the large display screen zeroed in on folks reacting to each nice play with shock or glee.
“I’m excited to win right here with this bunch of boys – that is one of the best [win] I can ask for and top-of-the-line days of my life,” mentioned Shahar “flameZ” Shushan, in a press release. “It means hundreds to us. After all we didn’t have one of the best yr, however this trophy means every part. I’m so grateful to win [it] in entrance of such an incredible crowd and in entrance of top-of-the-line groups on this planet proper now.”
However the story of IEM Cologne 2024 is not only concerning the Champions. SAW, the Portuguese group that competed at IEM Cologne for the primary time this yr made historical past by representing their nation on the Cathedral of Counter-Strike. The underdog squad took dominant video games off of The MongolZ, BIG, and FaZe Clan.
In the meantime, Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut stole the present, being named the event’s DHL ESL Professional Tour Most Helpful Participant (MVP) for his excellent efficiency all through the occasion. His play was pivotal in securing Crew Vitality’s Championship run, significantly within the Grand Closing, the place their abilities had been on full show.
IEM Cologne featured three days of fan-centric celebrations, with EFG and an assortment of brand name companions enjoying main roles. EFG’s all-new ESL brand campaign, debuting in Cologne, ushered in a brand new search for the storied esports organizer and highlighted the gamers, groups, and followers which have chosen to “Stay Legendary” over its practically 25-year tenure. The model additionally introduced a partnership renewal with long-time accomplice DHL, in addition to welcoming Logitech and Unilever vitamin manufacturers Knorr and Pot Noodle into the fray. Logitech confirmed me the athlete life-style participant’s lounge that it arrange within the close by Radisson Lodge, which got here with therapeutic massage tables, ping pong and different methods for the gamers to unwind after they weren’t enjoying important matches.
This yr’s occasion has raised the bar for what’s to come back within the Intel Excessive Masters sequence, together with the upcoming IEM Rio, which involves Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on October 7-13. For extra data or to buy tickets, go to www.pro.eslgaming.com/tour/cs/rio.
The IEM Cologne 2024 occasion is run by ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), the place Blicherz works. Right here’s my edited transcript of our dialog.
GamesBeat: Is it true that you just’ve been to 100 of those IEM occasions now?
Michal Blicharz: That is quantity 101, sure. Intel Excessive Masters began in 2006. The primary finals occurred in 2007. It’s been ongoing ever since with a number of occasions all all over the world. We’ve gone throughout Europe. We’ve gone to Canada. We’ve gone to a number of locations in the USA. We’ve gone to Brazil, Australia, Korea, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Dubai. This event has gone to many, many various locations.
You possibly can evaluate it to the Roland-Garros in tennis. It’s one of many Grand Slam occasions for Counter-Strike, some of the prestigious. You’re a extremely large boss if you happen to win this occasion. And I’d say not solely in Counter-Strike, however most likely throughout the complete esports trade. The prize pool is $1 million.
GamesBeat: The place did the nickname come from, the Cathedral of Counter-Strike?
Blicharz: We didn’t provide you with that. It was given to the occasion by the followers, for just a few causes. Throughout the river there’s a really well-known cathedral. And the expertise is slightly bit related. Lots of people collect for a similar goal. The gods are totally different, however the goal is comparable.
From a enterprise perspective, a sponsorship perspective, it’s been fairly the lengthy street along with Intel. They’ve taken a lot of leaps of religion throughout our relationship. They believed in esports from the beginning. In 2013, after we modified the mannequin from co-located occasions–we’d go to a giant comedian present or a recreation commerce present like E3. We’d simply hire out slightly piece of E3 and construct a stage there. However in 2013 we had the chance to go to our personal area, host 1000’s of individuals, and never be co-located. We had been the present.
Esports on the time was fairly small. We had been a bit like a sapper. The place I come from we are saying {that a} sapper’s job is difficult, as a result of one mistake and that’s it. You get to play till the primary mistake. That was esports again then, or not less than that’s how we felt. The folks at Intel who had been accountable took what might be seen, from sure angles, as a really large danger, going from co-located to renting out a full area. It’s gone very properly as you’ll be able to see. We admire the truth that our relationship with Intel through the years was constructed on this degree of belief. Someone was keen to danger their job as a result of we believed and so they believed.
GamesBeat: How many individuals are right here this yr?
Blicharz: It’s about 13,000. We began within the area in 2015. The occasion itself began in 2014, and the primary one was co-located with Gamescom. In 2020 it didn’t happen as a consequence of COVID. In 2021 it befell in a resort in Cologne with no followers. Each different one has totally offered out forward of time right here. This is likely one of the largest recurring esports occasions on this planet.
We had area occasions earlier than that had possibly 1,500 folks in them. They befell at an area, but it surely wasn’t full. The primary large-scale mega-arena occasion in Europe was in 2013 for certain. The League of Legends finals at Galen Middle in 2012 was just a few months forward of that. That was the transition interval when esports began transferring to main sports activities arenas.
GamesBeat: Do you continue to hear folks speak about an “esports winter,” or do you assume that’s behind us now?
Blicharz: It’s an fascinating subject for us. We haven’t felt any esports winter. We’ve all the time offered out on the similar tempo. We’ve all the time had persevering with success with our ongoing sponsorships, as a result of we proceed to ship the identical viewership numbers because the earlier yr, or larger. We function in an open ecosystem. The esports winter recreation titles are sometimes closed franchise leagues. They have a tendency to have problem changing their expertise.
For those who create a closed league and all the worth is poured into the groups in that particular league, with out one thing just like the NCAA fueling it from under, you’re not going to have expertise are available in. You’re making a membership of 10 groups with millionaires enjoying for them and no full-time jobs exterior that. How will you hope to change into a professional participant if you happen to don’t have anyone paying you, supporting you? In our ecosystem, which is open, it’s way more like tennis than, say, the NBA. All these franchise league techniques appear to be having bother with an esports winter. Something that works extra like tennis or golf in its annual construction was largely unaffected.
GamesBeat: In your particular function, what’s your everyday like?
Blicharz: My function was initially working Intel Excessive Masters. I used to be liable for every part. Proper now I’m vp of particular initiatives. At this occasion my particular challenge is to be the manager producer for the printed. With a group of individuals, I attempt to think about what the expertise ought to be for the opening, the closing. What ought to ceremonies seem like? Which course ought to our broadcast go? Issues like that.
To be extra particular, my pet peeve is physique language among the many gamers. Watching an esports occasion, a default esports occasion, it’s a bit like watching Spider-Man with all of the Peter Parker scenes minimize out. We see the masks. We see the avatar. However we don’t actually get to see the human. It’s form of the identical in esports. When the gamers sit down, their faces are coated by the monitor. Their actions are represented by pixels. My job, and the group’s job, is to introduce extra Peter Parker again into the film.
For instance, that is why we have now such an extended catwalk. Only a easy instance. At most esports occasions gamers go one, two, three, wave, and sit down. That’s not loads of physique language, not loads of Peter Parker. The lengthy catwalk right here is likely one of the issues we do. They’re bare in entrance of the complete stadium, within the very heart of it, and so they’re strolling in order that our eyes are in a position to absorb that physique language. Consciously or unconsciously, we decide up and perceive the participant’s way of thinking. Is that participant assured? Would that participant moderately be some other place? Is he cautious? Is he excited? Issues like that.
That’s a part of the present, as a result of we in the end wish to place the gamers as people that the viewers can determine with. That’s one factor I’m liable for. Peter Parker-ing the gamers.
GamesBeat: What’s your response to among the large occasions which have gone on these days? We simply had the Esports World Cup. That looks like an try to take issues up one other notch.
Blicharz: The Esports World Cup enhances the remainder of esports in a means the Olympics enhances the ATP in Tennis. I don’t assume Wimbledon is worried concerning the Olympics, nor the U.S. Open or the Australian Open. By the identical token, we’re not involved by the Esports World Cup taking place. The experiences are complementary. It’s yet one more title for a participant to win. It’s very profitable. It’s constructing its personal status. We’ve got our personal historical past and custom right here. We’ve got nothing to be ashamed of in entrance of any event on this planet.
GamesBeat: What kind of future street map do you see for esports? What do you assume is the following milestone?
Blicharz: I do know your work. You’ve been round many various esports occasions.
GamesBeat: I bear in mind watching Dennis Fong play at a Sega GameWorks in Seattle.
Blicharz: You’ve gotten my respect. I discovered about Dennis Fong shortly after he was performed enjoying. Usually, on the subject of esports–the rationale I deliver up your previous work, I assume you’ve talked to many individuals about the way forward for esports. I’d say that if anybody has a really particular prediction for the way forward for esports, then pardon my French, they’re filled with shit.
The explanation for that’s, esports is inherently tied to video video games. The way forward for video video games relies on a few issues. One, the constraints of {hardware}, whether or not it’s networking or computer systems or consoles. What can the {hardware} do? That limits the creativeness of online game creators. Again when Thresh performed, we couldn’t think about PUBG. That was utterly unattainable, unimaginable. We’re sitting in a spot in time the place we will’t think about the following technology of wonderful video video games. So the way forward for esports is tied to video video games, and the way forward for video video games is unpredictable. If I may predict what gear we’ll have, I’d be a startup CEO wanting ahead to creating large cash.
We all know that that is generational, although. My daughter was born just a few months after Intel Excessive Masters Katowice. She was born right into a world the place area occasions for esports are a traditional factor. Anyone born in 2013 and later are esports natives. It’s regular to them. Once I don’t journey, I get pleasure from Intel Excessive Masters at residence with my children. I play video video games with my children. Which means there’s solely going to be extra of us. All I can inform you is that it’s going to be larger.
GamesBeat: I’m wondering when the standard sports activities guys will be capable of match their expectations to the enterprise alternative. Like another classes, it’s taking longer to get there than some folks anticipated in the course of the days of overhype.
Blicharz: Esports normally has been fueled by funding cash. It’s pure that many various blueprints for how one can get it proper had been tried. Frankly, I used to be anticipating the so-called esports winter. I didn’t consider in among the blueprints that had been tried. Esports all through the years has gone by means of rise and correction, rise and correction, rise and correction. With each one in all these cycles, we’re getting nearer to a wholesome enterprise. We simply must strive one million blueprints earlier than we discover the blueprint. We all know the viewers is there. We all know the followers are there. We have to proceed perfecting the recipe. As you’ll be able to see right here, the magic on this area is simple.
The explanation we do that–this isn’t your first area occasion. You understand what it’s like. We’d like younger, proficient folks from all over the world – the Thresh from Australia, the Thresh from Malaysia, the Thresh from Chile – to have a dream and be capable of fulfill it right here. I don’t assume there’s something higher as a gamer–if you happen to’re on this stage, you lookup on the display screen, and all you see is faces staring again at you. All of the lights pointing at you. You’ve gotten one second within the lights. You’re feeling it in your pores and skin. You’re feeling it by means of the headset. You see it along with your eyes. For those who occur to do one thing nice, the earth shakes.
That’s usually solely accessible to folks like Tom Brady or Taylor Swift. We’re attempting to make that feeling accessible to any gamer on this planet who has expertise and the need to strive.
