IEM Beijing 2026: Schedule, Format, Teams and Prize Pool
IEM Beijing 2026 is a CS2 tournament run by ESL from November 2 to 8, 2026 in Beijing, China. Sixteen teams play for a $1.25 million prize pool, and first place pays $360,000.
Last updated: November 2, 2026, 11:50 IST
Key Takeaways
Dates: November 2 to 8, 2026.
Teams: 16, split into two groups of eight.
Prize pool: $1,250,000, with $360,000 to the winner.
Format: double-elimination groups, then a single-elimination playoff with a Bo5 Grand Final.
Missing from the field: Vitality and Spirit are not on the official team list.
IEM Beijing 2026 at a glance
Detail | Information |
Event | Intel Extreme Masters Beijing 2026 |
Game | Counter-Strike 2 |
Organizer | ESL |
Dates | November 2 to 8, 2026 |
Location | Beijing, China (Bloomage Biotech Biohyalux ECM Arena per Strafe) |
Teams | 16 |
Prize pool | $1,250,000 |
Where to watch | ESL on Twitch, YouTube and Kick |
The venue name differs between sources. Strafe names the Bloomage Biotech Biohyalux ECM Arena, while BLAST.tv only says Beijing. Some earlier listings, including our own hub, gave the Wukesong Arena.
What is the IEM Beijing 2026 schedule?
Times below are as published by Strafe in PST and CET. We added the IST conversion ourselves, so check ESL's page before you plan around a start time.
Stage | Date | Start (PST / CET) | Start (IST) |
Group stage, Day 1 | Mon, Nov 2 | Not listed | Not listed |
Group stage, Day 2 | Tue, Nov 3 | 6 pm Nov 2 / 3 am | 7:30 am |
Group stage, Day 3 | Wed, Nov 4 | 6 pm Nov 3 / 3 am | 7:30 am |
Quarterfinals | Fri, Nov 6 | 10:30 pm Nov 5 / 7:30 am | 12:00 pm |
Semifinals | Sat, Nov 7 | 10:30 pm Nov 6 / 7:30 am | 12:00 pm |
Third place match and Grand Final | Sun, Nov 8 | 8 pm Nov 7 / 5 am | 9:30 am |
How does the format work?
The group stage is two double-elimination groups of eight teams, and every series is a Bo3. The top three teams from each group advance to the playoffs.
Group winners skip ahead to the semifinals. Second and third place teams start in the quarterfinals. The playoffs are single elimination with Bo3 series, a separate third place match and a Bo5 Grand Final.
Pro tip: in a double-elimination group, finishing first saves a team a full playoff round. Watch the upper bracket final in each group.
Which teams are playing?
Group A | Group B |
Legacy | MOUZ |
The MongolZ | TYLOO |
HEROIC | 9z Team |
B8 | BetBoom |
FURIA | Aurora Gaming |
FaZe Clan | Team Liquid |
NAVI | PARIVISION |
Team Falcons | G2 Esports |
Opening matches on November 2
Group A | Group B |
Legacy vs The MongolZ | MOUZ vs TYLOO |
HEROIC vs B8 | 9z vs BetBoom |
FURIA vs FaZe | Aurora vs Liquid |
NAVI vs Falcons | PARIVISION vs G2 |
FURIA arrive after winning PGL Masters Bucharest on October 31. You can read how that final played out in our PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 results post.
How much is the prize pool?
Placement | Prize |
Total prize pool | $1,250,000 |
1st place | $360,000 |
Other placements | Not published in the sources we checked |
Another outlet listed a much lower pool, but the $1.25 million figure appears on BLAST.tv and in most coverage, so we use it.
How to watch IEM Beijing 2026
ESL streams the event in English on two channels. Stream A is on Twitch (twitch.tv/ESLCS), YouTube (youtube.com/ESLCS/streams) and Kick (kick.com/ESLCS). Stream B is on twitch.tv/ESLCSb and kick.com/ESLCSb.
Results so far
The group stage opened on November 2. We had not confirmed any series results when this page was published, and we will fill this section after the first matchday.
For the full November calendar, including Worlds 2026 and the FFWS Global Finals, see our ongoing esports tournaments hub.
FAQ
When does IEM Beijing 2026 start and end?
IEM Beijing 2026 runs from November 2 to November 8, 2026. The group stage covers November 2 to 4, the quarterfinals are on November 6, the semifinals on November 7 and the Grand Final on November 8.
What is the IEM Beijing 2026 prize pool?
The prize pool is $1,250,000. BLAST.tv lists $360,000 for first place. ESL has not published the rest of the prize split in the sources we checked.
Which teams play at IEM Beijing 2026?
Sixteen teams: Legacy, The MongolZ, HEROIC, B8, FURIA, FaZe Clan, NAVI and Team Falcons in Group A, and MOUZ, TYLOO, 9z, BetBoom, Aurora, Team Liquid, PARIVISION and G2 Esports in Group B.
How does the IEM Beijing 2026 format work?
Two double-elimination groups of eight teams play Bo3 series. The top three of each group advance, group winners go straight to the semifinals, and second and third place teams start in the quarterfinals. The Grand Final is a Bo5.
Where can I watch IEM Beijing 2026 live?
ESL's English broadcast runs on Twitch (ESLCS and ESLCSb), YouTube (ESLCS) and Kick (ESLCS and ESLCSb), according to Strafe. BLAST.tv had not listed channels when we checked.
Sources
BLAST.tv, IEM Beijing 2026 tournament page (checked November 2, 2026)
Strafe, IEM Beijing 2026: Teams, Schedule, Format and More (checked November 2, 2026)
Skin.club, IEM Beijing 2026 groups and opening matches announced (checked November 2, 2026)
Update log
November 2, 2026 (11:50 IST): first edition, with groups, format, schedule and prize pool.
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