Intel Extreme Masters heads to California

This article was originally published on GameSpot's sister site onGamers.com, which was dedicated to esports coverage.

After a successful stint in Toronto, the Intel Extreme Masters will be heading to San Jose, California. San Jose will be the third stop in Season 9 of the Intel Extreme Masters Circuit and will mark the seventh Intel Extreme Masters held in the United States.

Held during from the 6th to the 7th of December at the 18,000 SAP Center, IEM San Jose will be the biggest venue in the history of Intel Extreme Masters according to the press release. (The Dota 2 tournament held at the ~40,000 seater Commerzbank Arena was under the brand name of ESL One).

League of Legends and Starcraft 2 will be the two games present at the event and ESL expects that approximately 4.5 million viewers will tune into watch the event online via Twitch.

“It is a massive challenge and a massive opportunity for us. This is the new frontier,” says Michal Blicharz, Managing Director Pro Gaming at ESL. “We are the first independent esports content creators to run an event of this scale inside a US sports stadium. It’s a chance for gaming fans to prove that their hobby belongs in the spotlight.”

“SAP Center at San Jose continually looks to add new and exciting entertainment options to our event schedule that appeal to a variety of fans both locally and on a national and international level,” said Jim Goddard, Executive Vice President of Business & Building Operations, SAP Center in San Jose. “We are pleased to be working with ESL and Intel to bring Intel Extreme Masters to the Bay Area, an area known for its contributions to the gaming industry and an area that is home to many top gamers and video game enthusiasts. We look forward to hosting a successful and entertaining event in December.”

“When we started this sponsorship in 2006 it was an investment with the hope that gaming would some day reach the size it is today,” says George Woo, Event and Sponsorship Programs Manager at Intel. “It feels fantastic to see it pay off and to be able to showcase Intel Extreme Masters on this scale so close to our headquarters in Santa Clara.”

“There is no greater example of the rise of esports in the US than the proliferation of stadium-hosted events,” said Kevin Lin, COO, Twitch. “With the Intel Extreme Masters at SAP Center being one of many for ESL this year, esports have officially arrived, with Twitch providing a window into this phenomenon on a worldwide scale.”

For more information and the full press release please visit the official tournament website at www.intelextrememasters.com or ESL’s online news portal at www.eslgaming.com