ESL

ESL Gaming is the world's leading esports company. For more than two decades, we have been shaping the industry and leading esports and gaming innovation globally across the most popular video games, creating a comprehensive ecosystem with opportunities for players to go from zero to hero, and for fans to witness the best stories esports has to offer.

ESL Gaming, they are dedicated to making esports the largest and most celebrated sport on the planet. They create the stages where elite players become generational stars, where iconic moves forge legendary moments, and where hundreds of millions of fans view their idols from across the globe. In a complex and fragmented landscape, they provide their partners with the #1 way to win in esports and together they build a world where everybody can be somebody.

WE ARE ESL GAMING

For over two decades, ESL Gaming has developed into the world’s largest esports company, leading the industry across the most popular video games with numerous online and offline competitions. The company operates high-profile, branded international leagues and tournaments under the ESL Pro Tour, including Intel® Extreme Masters, ESL Pro League, and other preeminent, stadium-size tournaments such as ESL One. ESL Gaming also produces and hosts the ESL Mobile program, DreamHack Open tournaments, ESL National Championships, grassroots amateur cups, matchmaking systems, and DreamHack’s gaming lifestyle festivals — which feature everything gaming under one roof. ESL Gaming is part of MTG, the leading international digital entertainment group.

Premier Events

The Intel Extreme Masters, often abbreviated IEM, is ESL's flagship competition since 2007. In 2006, IEM replaced the ESL Counter-Strike Champions League (CSCL), when the Intel sponsored European tournament saw room for expansion outside of the European market, especially in the North American market, Intel provided funds for a worldwide tournament, calling it the Intel Extreme Masters. IEM also established a format of smaller qualifying events, leading up to a large final event that held at the CeBIT, the world's largest and most international computer expo. All of the Grand Finals have been held at CeBIT. Starting in 2008, the Tournament was billed as being worldwide, boasting participants from Europe, North America, and Asia. Counter-Strike 1.6 was the only game offered in the first season, but the variety of games has increased, to as many as the four different titles offered during Season 5. The first IEM Season I of the Counter-Strike era, was followed by 26 events including five World Championship finals that lead up to the IEM Season VI World Championship, which was the last season to feature Counter-Strike.

In 2013, ESL announced a new premier gaming competition for Europe's best in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The competition, dubbed the ESL Major Series One, or simply EMS One, featured the best teams from Europe competing for one of the largest independent Counter-Strike: Global Offensive prize pools to date. The league featured three successful events in 2013, with finals held at the ESL Studios in Cologne, Germany. In early 2014 ESL and Valve announced that they would hold a tournament at the Intel Extreme Masters venue in Katowice. The event, EMS One Katowice, would be Counter-Strike: Global Offensive's first Valve sponsored and community founded CS:GO Major tournament held by ESL.

Major Events

The ESL Pro Series, commonly abbreviated EPS, was a Counter-Strike and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive national league held and organized by Electronic Sports League. The format is a group stage followed by a playoffs, and each national series have its own specificities. Players were allowed to participate in the ESL Pro Series only if the resided in the country/countries where the series are held.

ESL Pro League

The ESL Pro League was the highest league in the ESL League system and featured sixteen European teams with offline finals. Eight teams were invited to the new ESL Pro League with the other eight slots determined through qualifiers. The ESL Pro League lasted for one season before being discontinued upon ESL's acquisition of ESEA, forming the ESL ESEA Pro League.

ESL Major League

The ESL Major League, originally positioned directly below the ESL Pro League, was now the highest ESL League division at the time of its discontinuation. A total of 32 teams competed in a single-elimination bracket, with the top 4 teams proceeding to ESEA's Main division.