StarCraft II returns to IEM Katowice to celebrate its 10th anniversary

The StarCraft franchise marks its 10th year, and in celebration, ESL will be bringing it to Intel Extreme Masters Katowice. The tournament will begin on February 24, 2020, and will end on March 1 at the Katowice event in Poland. 

StarCraft is a classic real-time strategy game that paved the foundation of esports, with the first title released in 1998. The celebration will feature a 76 player tournament at the ESL-organised StarCraft II event with a $250,000 prize pool that will be up for grabs.

ESL Vice President of Pro Gaming, Michal Blicharz stated in a release: 

“For ten years, StarCraft II has delivered some of the most legendary moments on our stages. Blizzard titles have always been a part of the Intel® Extreme Masters DNA, and legacy is something that’s incredibly important to us to maintain and develop. SC2 helps us cultivate a living thread back to the very first years of Intel Extreme Masters.”

The StarCraft II tournament will begin with online qualifiers in January, from which 11 players will qualify alongside the 2019 WCS Global Champion. The Round of 76 will then follow from February 25-26, with 64 global competitors determined by WCS ranking prioritization. Split into four double-elimination brackets, the top 3 players from each will move on to the Round of 24. Split into four groups once more, the top three teams of each will move on to the final single-elimination Round of 12.

Blizzard Entertainment Global Director, Esports- Hearthstone, World of Warcraft, and classic games, Sam Braithwaite also commented on the event: 

“StarCraft II ushered in a new era of esports, and Intel Extreme Masters has been an essential partner in the growth of the StarCraft II global scene over the past decade. Katowice is the only place we could imagine beginning 2020 to celebrate the legacy and continued impact of StarCraft II on the past, present, and future of live competitive entertainment.”

IEM Katowice makes the perfect destination to celebrate StarCraft II’s 10th anniversary, considering they both have a long history and a legacy of greatness.