ESL to host IEM Beijing 2026, its first major Beijing event since 2019

ESL has announced a new tier-one Counter-Strike 2 tournament in China. The event will be called IEM Beijing 2026 and is scheduled to take place in Beijing from November 2 to 8, 2026.

The tournament will feature 16 teams competing for a total prize pool of $1.25 million. Part of the amount will go to clubs through the Club Reward system. Matches will be held at the Bloomage Biotech Biohyalux ECM Arena, where ESL plans to build a 360-degree stage.

IEM Beijing 2026 will mark ESL’s return to Beijing after a long break. The last IEM event in the city was held in 2019, when Astralis won the title.

ESL’s next major event in 2026 will be IEM Cologne Major 2026. It is set to run from June 2 to 21 on LAN in Germany, with 32 teams competing for $1.25 million.

image credit: HLTV