Intel Extreme Masters Katowice is almost here, and with it the prestigious League of Legends Intel Extreme Masters World Championship. US$100,000 is up for grabs as well as the title and trophy, and eight League of Legends teams from around the world will be gathering in Katowice, Poland in order to decide which of them deserves to walk away with the lion’s share of the spoils. Get ready for some great games with our survival guide!

Key information

• Where? Expo A on Friday and Saturday, Spodek arena on Sunday (map here) in Katowice, Poland
• When? 4th, 5th and 6th of March 2016
• Homepage: Intel Extreme Masters homepage
• Stream: http://www.twitch.tv/esl_lol
• Eight top League of Legends teams fight it out for a minimum US$100,000 prize pool as well as the League of Legends Intel Extreme Masters World Championship trophy

Participating teams

Fighting for the title of Intel Extreme Masters World Champion will be the following world-famous League of Legends teams:

• Origen
• Counter Logic Gaming
• ESC Ever
• Qiao Gu Reapers
• Team SoloMid
• SK Telecom T1
• Fnatic
• Royal Never Give Up

Broadcast team

We’ve put together a star-studded broadcast team to bring you all the League of Legends action from Katowice. Seeing you through the League of Legends Intel Extreme Masters will be:

• Host: Eefje "Sjokz" Depoortere
• Analyst Desk Host: Trevor "Quickshot" Henry
• Commentator: Leigh "Deman" Smith
• Commentator: Mitch "Uber" Leslie
• Commentator: Erik "DoA" Lonnquist
• Commentator: Christopher "MonteCristo" Mykles
• Commentator: Martin "Deficio" Lynge
• Commentator: Mitch "Krepo" Voorspoels
• Observers: Martin Szarnas and Kevin Cheung
• Translators: Susie "Lilsusie" Kim (KR) and Jenny "Reira" Lee (CN)

Click to enlarge

Full schedule

Check out our handy schedule for all the League of Legends action in Katowice - remember that match start and finish times may vary as the day progresses!

DAY ONE (Friday, 4th of March 2016)

• ~12:30 CET: ESC Ever vs. Team SoloMid (Group A)
• ~13:50 CET: Royal Never Give Up vs. Origen (Group A)
• ~15:10 CET: Winners’ match (Group A)
• ~16:30 CET: Elimination match (Group A)
• ~19:50 CET: Decider match (Group A)

DAY TWO (Saturday, 5th of March 2016)

• ~12:20 CET: SK Telecom T1 vs. Counter Logic Gaming (Group B)
• ~13:40 CET: Qiao Gu Reapers vs. Fnatic (Group B)
• ~14:00 CET: Winners’ match (Group B)
• ~16:20 CET: Elimination match (Group B)
• ~19:40 CET: Decider match (Group B)

DAY THREE (Sunday, 6th of March 2016)

• ~12:20 CET: Semifinal one
• ~15:40 CET: Semifinal two
• ~19:20 CET: Grand final

You can find the full schedule - including match times in your local time zone - here.

ESL Fantasy

If you want to win yourself some ESL Shop vouchers (or else just take part in a private league with your friends), make sure you sign up for ESL Fantasy for the League of Legends Intel Extreme Masters World Championship! You can find the rules here - make sure to sign up below before the first match begins on Friday the 4th of March!

Sign up for ESL Fantasy League of Legends here!

Team previews

In the leadup to the League of Legends Intel Extreme Masters World Championship, we took a look at all the teams who’ll be competing at the event - who do you think has what it takes to lift the trophy?

• From middle of the LCS pack to the top of the Intel Extreme Masters: can Fnatic and Origen step up their game in Katowice?
• Will Royal Never Give Up or the Qiao Gu Reapers cut through the competition in Katowice?
• Can either ESC Ever or SK Telecom T1 top the winners' podium once more in Katowice?
• Can Team SoloMid and Counter Logic Gaming carry the American dream straight to Katowice?

Social media

For all the latest updates during the League of Legends Intel Extreme Masters World Championship, make sure you’re keeping an eye on the following social media accounts:

• Intel Extreme Masters Facebook page
• Intel Extreme Masters Twitter account
• ESL League of Legends Facebook page
• ESL League of Legends Twitter
• Intel Extreme Masters hashtag: #IEM

We hope to see you in Katowice!