Intel Excessive Grasp Cologne drew a file 39,000 folks to observe six of the world’s greatest 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 Staff Vitality emerged as Champions within the Grand Closing, narrowly beating Navi in extra time with a rating of 16 to 14. It was the primary time I used to be capable of watch the occasion in particular person, and I interviewed Michal Blicharz, one of many unique creators of the occasion, which is named the Cathedral of Counter-Strike.
Set towards the backdrop of the enduring LANXESS area, this yr’s IEM Cologne introduced collectively six of the world’s greatest Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) groups within the playoffs—MOUZ, G2 Esports, Staff 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 Staff 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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Staff Vitality’s journey to the Championship was paved with hard-fought victories towards the world’s greatest squads. The crew confronted fierce competitors, together with MOUZ and G2 Esports, and their Grand Closing best-of-five sequence towards Natus Vincere resulted in an intense 3-1 victory.
The win marks Staff Vitality’s first IEM Cologne title, and a long-awaited victory lap for crew captain Dan “apEX” Madesclaire, who appeared on the LANXESS area’s first-ever IEM occasion in 2015. With the victory, Staff 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 the most effective days of my life,” stated Shahar “flameZ” Shushan, in an announcement. “It means hundreds to us. In fact we didn’t have one of the best yr, however this trophy means all the pieces. I’m so grateful to win [it] in entrance of such a fantastic crowd and in entrance of the most effective groups on the planet proper now.”
However the story of IEM Cologne 2024 is not only concerning the Champions. SAW, the Portuguese crew 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 Invaluable Participant (MVP) for his excellent efficiency all through the occasion. His play was pivotal in securing Staff Vitality’s Championship run, significantly within the Grand Closing, the place their abilities have been on full show.
IEM Cologne featured three days of fan-centric celebrations, with EFG and an assortment of name companions enjoying main roles. EFG’s all-new ESL model marketing 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 “Dwell Legendary” over its practically 25-year tenure. The model additionally introduced a partnership renewal with long-time companion DHL, in addition to welcoming Logitech and Unilever vitamin manufacturers Knorr and Pot Noodle into the fray. Logitech confirmed me the athlete way of life 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 vital 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 info or to buy tickets, go to www.professional.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 simply’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 world wide. We’ve gone throughout Europe. We’ve gone to Canada. We’ve gone to a number of locations in america. We’ve gone to Brazil, Australia, Korea, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Dubai. This event has gone to many, many various locations.
You may evaluate it to the Roland-Garros in tennis. It’s one of many Grand Slam occasions for Counter-Strike, one of the crucial prestigious. You’re a very huge boss for those who win this occasion. And I’d say not solely in Counter-Strike, however most likely throughout the whole 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 give you that. It was given to the occasion by the followers, for a number of causes. Throughout the river there’s a really well-known cathedral. And the expertise is just a little bit related. Lots of people collect for a similar function. The gods are totally different, however the function is analogous.
From a enterprise perspective, a sponsorship perspective, it’s been fairly the lengthy highway along with Intel. They’ve taken quite a few leaps of religion throughout our relationship. They believed in esports from the beginning. In 2013, once 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 just a little 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 have been the present.
Esports on the time was fairly small. We have been a bit like a sapper. The place I come from we are saying {that a} sapper’s job is tough, as a result of one mistake and that’s it. You get to play till the primary mistake. That was esports again then, or at the very least that’s how we felt. The folks at Intel who have been accountable took what could possibly be seen, from sure angles, as a really huge danger, going from co-located to renting out a full area. It’s gone very effectively as you possibly can see. We respect the truth that our relationship with Intel through the years was constructed on this stage of belief. Anyone was prepared to danger their job as a result of we believed they usually 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 resulting from COVID. In 2021 it passed off in a lodge in Cologne with no followers. Each different one has totally offered out forward of time right here. This is without doubt one of the largest recurring esports occasions on the planet.
We had area occasions earlier than that had possibly 1,500 folks in them. They passed off at an area, however it wasn’t full. The primary large-scale mega-arena occasion in Europe was in 2013 for positive. The League of Legends finals at Galen Middle in 2012 was a number of months forward of that. That was the transition interval when esports began shifting to main sports activities arenas.
GamesBeat: Do you continue to hear folks discuss an “esports winter,” or do you suppose that’s behind us now?
Blicharz: It’s an attention-grabbing matter for us. We haven’t felt any esports winter. We’ve at all times offered out on the identical tempo. We’ve at all times 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 greater. We function in an open ecosystem. The esports winter recreation titles are usually 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 beneath, 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 outdoors that. How will you hope to develop into a professional participant for those who 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 programs 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 position, what’s your each day like?
Blicharz: My position was initially working Intel Excessive Masters. I used to be accountable for all the pieces. Proper now I’m vice chairman of particular initiatives. At this occasion my particular venture is to be the chief producer for the printed. With a crew of individuals, I attempt to think about what the expertise must be for the opening, the closing. What ought to ceremonies appear 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 type 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 crew’s job, is to introduce extra Peter Parker again into the film.
For instance, because of this we now have such a protracted catwalk. Only a easy instance. At most esports occasions gamers go one, two, three, wave, and sit down. That’s not a number of physique language, not a number of Peter Parker. The lengthy catwalk right here is without doubt one of the issues we do. They’re bare in entrance of the whole stadium, within the very heart of it, they usually’re strolling in order that our eyes are in a position to soak up that physique language. Consciously or unconsciously, we decide up and perceive the participant’s mind set. Is that participant assured? Would that participant slightly be someplace else? Is he cautious? Is he excited? Issues like that.
That’s a part of the present, as a result of we finally need to place the gamers as people that the viewers can determine with. That’s one factor I’m accountable for. Peter Parker-ing the gamers.
GamesBeat: What’s your response to among the huge occasions which have gone on currently? We simply had the Esports World Cup. That looks like an try and take issues up one other notch.
Blicharz: The Esports World Cup enhances the remainder of esports in a approach the Olympics enhances the ATP in Tennis. I don’t suppose Wimbledon is anxious 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 occurring. The experiences are complementary. It’s another title for a participant to win. It’s very profitable. It’s constructing its personal status. We have now our personal historical past and custom right here. We have now nothing to be ashamed of in entrance of any event on the planet.
GamesBeat: What kind of future highway map do you see for esports? What do you suppose is the subsequent milestone?
Blicharz: I do know your work. You’ve been round many various esports occasions.
GamesBeat: I keep in mind watching Dennis Fong play at a Sega GameWorks in Seattle.
Blicharz: You may have my respect. I came upon about Dennis Fong shortly after he was accomplished enjoying. Normally, in relation to 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 stuffed 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 restrictions 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 not possible, unimaginable. We’re sitting in a spot in time the place we are able to’t think about the subsequent technology of fantastic 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 trying ahead to creating huge cash.
We all know that that is generational, although. My daughter was born a number of 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. After I don’t journey, I get pleasure from Intel Excessive Masters at residence with my youngsters. I play video video games with my youngsters. 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 ponder when the normal sports activities guys will be capable to 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 generally has been fueled by funding cash. It’s pure that many various blueprints for how you can get it proper have been tried. Frankly, I used to be anticipating the so-called esports winter. I didn’t consider in among the blueprints that have been tried. Esports all through the years has gone by rise and correction, rise and correction, rise and correction. With each one in every of these cycles, we’re getting nearer to a wholesome enterprise. We simply must attempt 1,000,000 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 possibly can see right here, the magic on this area is simple.
The explanation we do that–this isn’t your first area occasion. You realize what it’s like. We’d like younger, gifted folks from world wide – the Thresh from Australia, the Thresh from Malaysia, the Thresh from Chile – to have a dream and be capable to fulfill it right here. I don’t suppose there’s something higher as a gamer–for those who’re on this stage, you search for on the display screen, and all you see is faces staring again at you. All of the lights pointing at you. You may have one second within the lights. You’re feeling it in your pores and skin. You’re feeling it by the headset. You see it together with your eyes. For those who occur to do one thing nice, the earth shakes.
That’s usually solely out there to folks like Tom Brady or Taylor Swift. We’re attempting to make that feeling out there to any gamer on the planet who has expertise and the need to attempt.
