ESL adds $250,000 to IEM China 2026 prize pool

Tournament operator ESL announced a change to the club share of the prize pool for the upcoming IEM China 2026 Counter-Strike 2 event.

Since IEM Cologne has been upgraded to a Major in 2026, the total prize pool and its distribution are determined by the CS2 developers themselves – teams will compete for $1.25 million. Accordingly, the clubs' share of $250,000, which was originally planned to be added to the IEM Cologne 2026 prize pool, has been redistributed in favor of IEM China 2026.

As a result of these changes, the total prize pool of IEM China 2026 will increase from $1 million to $1.25 million, while the organization share will grow from $700,000 to $950,000.

IEM China 2026 will take place from November 2 to 8 next year in China. Sixteen squads will participate. Further details about the competition, including the exact location, will be revealed at a later date.

Origin: x.com