IEM Katowice Awarded First CS:GO Major of 2019

IEM Katowice will be the first Counter-Strike major of 2019, ESL announced Thursday.

IEM Katowice, traditionally the world championship for an IEM season, is the first Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major for ESL since ESL One Cologne 2016 and sixth overall.

The event features a $1 million prize pool and a win toward the Intel Grand Slam, becoming the first Major in the Intel Grand Slam cycle.

"IEM Katowice has grown to become of the most iconic esports tournaments in the world. I expect that coupling the heritage of IEM with the gravity of a Valve Major Championship will elevate the tournament to what will be the most incredible IEM event in history," Michal Blicharz, vice president of pro gaming at ESL, said in a news release.

The IEM Katowice Major takes place Feb. 14 through March 3 with the same structure as the ELEAGUE and FACEIT Majors. The Challengers Stage takes place February 14-20, the Legends Stage takes place February 21-24 and the Champions Stage takes place February 28-March 3 in the Spodek Arena.