How Intel Excessive Grasp Cologne turned the Cathedral of Counter-Strike

Intel Excessive Grasp Cologne drew a file 39,000 folks to look at six of the world’s finest 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 Crew 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 in a position to watch the occasion in individual, and I interviewed Michal Blicharz, one of many unique creators of the occasion, which is called the Cathedral of Counter-Strike.

Set in opposition to the backdrop of the enduring LANXESS area, this 12 months’s IEM Cologne introduced collectively six of the world’s finest Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) groups within the playoffs—MOUZ, G2 Esports, Crew 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 Crew Vitality declare their first ever IEM Cologne trophy, marking IEM Cologne 2024 because the most-watched non-Main Counter-Strike competitors of the 12 months.

Crew Vitality’s journey to the Championship was paved with hard-fought victories in opposition to the world’s finest squads. The group confronted fierce competitors, together with MOUZ and G2 Esports, and their Grand Closing best-of-five collection in opposition to Natus Vincere resulted in an intense 3-1 victory.

The win marks Crew Vitality’s first IEM Cologne title, and a long-awaited victory lap for group captain Dan “apEX” Madesclaire, who appeared on the LANXESS area’s first-ever IEM occasion in 2015. With the victory, Crew 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 zeroed in on folks reacting to each nice play with shock or glee.

“I’m excited to win here with this bunch of boys – this is the best [win] I can ask for and one of the best days of my life,” mentioned Shahar “flameZ” Shushan, in an announcement. “It means loads to us. Of course we didn’t have the best year, but this trophy means everything. I’m so grateful to win [it] in front of such a great crowd and in front of one of the best teams in the world right now.”

However the story of IEM Cologne 2024 is not only concerning the Champions. SAW, the Portuguese group that competed at IEM Cologne for the primary time this 12 months 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 Useful Participant (MVP) for his excellent efficiency all through the occasion. His play was pivotal in securing Crew Vitality’s Championship run, significantly within the Grand Closing, the place their expertise 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 “Live Legendary” over its almost 25-year tenure. The model additionally introduced a partnership renewal with long-time companion DHL, in addition to welcoming Logitech and Unilever diet 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 Resort, which got here with therapeutic massage tables, ping pong and different methods for the gamers to unwind once they weren’t enjoying vital matches.

This 12 months’s occasion has raised the bar for what’s to return within the Intel Excessive Masters collection, together with the upcoming IEM Rio, which involves Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on October 7-13. For extra data 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 just’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 all over the world. We’ve gone throughout Europe. We’ve gone to Canada. We’ve gone to a number of locations in the USA. We’ve gone to Brazil, Australia, Korea, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Dubai. This event has gone to many, many alternative locations.

You possibly can evaluate it to the Roland-Garros in tennis. It’s one of many Grand Slam occasions for Counter-Strike, one of the vital prestigious. You’re a extremely huge boss when you win this occasion. And I’d say not solely in Counter-Strike, however most likely throughout your complete 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 provide you with that. It was given to the occasion by the followers, for a couple of causes. Throughout the river there’s a really well-known cathedral. And the expertise is somewhat bit comparable. Lots of people collect for a similar objective. The gods are completely different, however the objective is comparable.

From a enterprise perspective, a sponsorship perspective, it’s been fairly the lengthy street along with Intel. They’ve taken a variety of 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 an enormous comedian present or a sport commerce present like E3. We’d simply hire out somewhat 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 least that’s how we felt. The folks at Intel who have been accountable took what might 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 admire the truth that our relationship with Intel over time was constructed on this degree of belief. Any person was keen to danger their job as a result of we believed they usually believed.

GamesBeat: How many individuals are right here this 12 months?

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 because of COVID. In 2021 it befell in a lodge in Cologne with no followers. Each different one has absolutely bought out forward of time right here. This is likely one of the largest recurring esports occasions on the planet.

We had area occasions earlier than that had perhaps 1,500 folks in them. They befell at an area, however it wasn’t full. The primary large-scale mega-arena occasion in Europe was in 2013 for certain. The League of Legends finals at Galen Middle in 2012 was a couple 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 fascinating subject for us. We haven’t felt any esports winter. We’ve at all times bought out on the similar 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 12 months, or greater. We function in an open ecosystem. The esports winter sport titles are sometimes closed franchise leagues. They have a tendency to have issue changing their expertise.

In the event you 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. You’re making a membership of 10 groups with millionaires enjoying for them and no full-time jobs exterior that. How will you hope to turn out to be a professional participant when you don’t have anyone paying you, supporting you? In our ecosystem, which is open, it’s far 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 day after day like?

Blicharz: My position was initially operating Intel Excessive Masters. I used to be liable for every thing. Proper now I’m vp of particular tasks. At this occasion my particular challenge is to be the chief producer for the published. With a group of individuals, I attempt to think about what the expertise needs to be for the opening, the closing. What ought to ceremonies appear to be? 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 lower out. We see the masks. We see the avatar. However we don’t actually get to see the human. It’s sort 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 group’s job, is to introduce extra Peter Parker again into the film.

For instance, for this reason we’ve such a protracted catwalk. Only a easy instance. At most esports occasions gamers go one, two, three, wave, and sit down. That’s not plenty of physique language, not plenty of Peter Parker. The lengthy catwalk right here is likely one of the issues we do. They’re bare in entrance of your complete 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 somewhat 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 wish to place the gamers as people that the viewers can determine with. That’s one factor I’m liable for. Peter Parker-ing the gamers.

GamesBeat: What’s your response to among the huge occasions which have gone on recently? We simply had the Esports World Cup. That looks as if an try to take issues up one other notch.

Blicharz: The Esports World Cup enhances the remainder of esports in a method 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 yet one more 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 street 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 alternative esports occasions.

GamesBeat: I keep in mind watching Dennis Fong play at a Sega GameWorks in Seattle.

Blicharz: You’ve got my respect. I came upon about Dennis Fong shortly after he was accomplished enjoying. Usually, in terms of esports–the explanation I carry 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 constraints 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 inconceivable, unimaginable. We’re sitting in a spot in time the place we will’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 couple of months after Intel Excessive Masters Katowice. She was born right into a world the place area occasions for esports are a standard factor. Anyone born in 2013 and later are esports natives. It’s regular to them. After I don’t journey, I take pleasure in Intel Excessive Masters at dwelling with my children. I play video video games with my children. Meaning there’s solely going to be extra of us. All I can inform you is that it’s going to be larger.

GamesBeat: I’m wondering when the standard sports activities guys will be capable of match their expectations to the enterprise alternative. Like another classes, it’s taking longer to get there than some folks anticipated throughout the days of overhype.

Blicharz: Esports typically has been fueled by funding cash. It’s pure that many alternative blueprints for how one 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 way of rise and correction, rise and correction, rise and correction. With each one in all these cycles, we’re getting nearer to a wholesome enterprise. We simply have to 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 all over the world – the Thresh from Australia, the Thresh from Malaysia, the Thresh from Chile – to have a dream and be capable of fulfill it right here. I don’t suppose there’s something higher as a gamer–when you’re on this stage, you search for on the display, and all you see is faces staring again at you. All of the lights pointing at you. You’ve got one second within the lights. You’re feeling it in your pores and skin. You’re feeling it by way of the headset. You see it along with your eyes. In the event you 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 making an attempt to make that feeling out there to any gamer on the planet who has expertise and the desire to attempt.