Inaugural IEM Melbourne sets milestone as the biggest esports tournament ever held in Australia, breaking all previous attendance and viewership records.
Melbourne, Sunday 27 April — This week, global pro gaming tour Intel® Extreme Masters (IEM) made its debut in Melbourne, Australia. 26,000 fans flocked to the sold-out Rod Laver Arena over April 25-27 to cheer on the world’s top Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) teams. After a week of unforgettable esports action, Team Vitality emerged victorious and walked away with their share of the $1,000,000 USD total winnings.
The IEM Melbourne Group Stage kicked off on Monday, April 21, with 16 of the world’s best Counter-Strike 2 teams competing for a spot at the Playoffs in Rod Laver Arena. Following three days of intense competition, Team Vitality and MOUZ topped their groups to secure a spot in Playoffs, and were joined by GamerLegion, Team Falcons, The MongolZ, and Team Liquid.
Wins against GamerLegion and MOUZ in the Playoffs saw Team Falcons secure a slot in the Grand Final, where they faced off against Team Vitality who blazed their path to the match with a historic undefeated run. After an incredible five map series, Team Vitality raised the trophy in Rod Laver Arena with a 3-2 win in triple overtime.
On top of their 1st-place total winnings of $285,000 USD, Team Vitality also took home $1,000,000 USD after claiming the ESL Grand Slam. Team Vitality are now the fifth team to win this accolade in history, and team member ropz will be the second player ever to have won this prestigious accolade twice.
Over 1,253,000* people tuned in at once to watch IEM Melbourne across livestreaming platforms, earning the title of the most viewed esports event ever hosted in Australia, and the 2nd highest peak of a non-Major Counter-Strike tournament, of all time.
At the close of the event, ZywOo was announced the DHL MVP of IEM Melbourne 2025 for their role in the finals series, and the tournament as a whole.
The legendary Caches showmatch also made a return for the 5th time, pitting Team Australia against Team UK in a Counter-Strike spin-off of the famous cricket series. This year, Henry “HenryG” Greer returned to captain Team UK, unsuccessfully facing off against Team Australia captained by Chad “SPUNJ” Burchill, who led his home team to a fifth consecutive win. The IEM Expo made a return, featuring exhibitors including Intel® and DHL showcasing the latest and greatest in games, technology, and more. Within the Expo, attendees also took part in signing and meet-and-greet sessions with attending teams, including hometown heroes FlyQuest.
“As the world’s longest running pro gaming tour, Intel Extreme Masters has been taking place around the world for almost 20 years. This year, we made the decision to bring the tournament into a new city, and one of the world’s most iconic sporting arenas – a decision that was rewarded with a record sell-out crowd,” said Marc Winther, Director Game Ecosystems – Counter-Strike at ESL FACEIT Group. “Australian fans have proven their appetite for the highest tier of competitive Counter-Strike is only growing, and helped make our first trip to Melbourne a truly memorable one.”
IEM Melbourne 2025 results:
Placement | Team(s) | Total Winnings (USD) |
| 1st | Team Vitality (Includes ESL Grand Slam prize winnings of $1,000,000 USD) | $1,285,000 |
| 2nd | Team Falcons | $150,000 |
| 3rd-4th | MOUZ, The MongolZ | $105,000 |
| 5th-6th | GamerLegion, Team Liquid | $72,500 |
| 7th-8th | FaZe Clan, Natus Vincere | $47,000 |
| 9th-12th | 3DMAX, Complexity, FlyQuest, MIBR | $25,000 |
| 13th-16th | BIG, PaiN Gaming, Virtus.pro, SAW | $4,000 |
*According to escharts.com
“With its Grand Slam, Vitality has elevated France to the top of esports and made our colors shine. Congratulations to the entire team!”
About ESL FACEIT Group
ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) is the world’s largest esports and video game entertainment company, dedicated to creating worlds beyond gameplay where players and fans become a community. Built on a legacy of world-renowned brands including ESL, FACEIT, and DreamHack, EFG provides innovative ecosystems for global communities of players, fans, and creators around the games they love. In January 2022, EFG was acquired by Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Games Group—a company 100% owned by the country’s Public Investment Fund—for $1.5 billion. As the main official operating partner of the Esports World Cup for the next five years, EFG continues to shape the future of esports on a global scale. Working alongside leading partners, brands, and global IPs, EFG operates an unmatched portfolio of live events, digital platforms, and developer tools that reach and engage millions of gamers worldwide. For more information, visit www.eslfaceitgroup.com.
About ESL
ESL creates a world where everybody can be somebody. 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. The ESL portfolio consists of high-profile products such as the ESL Pro Tour, Intel® Extreme Masters, the Snapdragon Pro Series, and many more, ranging from grassroots to global elite competitions. ESL is part of ESL FACEIT Group, the leading esports and video game entertainment company.
About Intel® Extreme Masters
Intel® Extreme Masters is the longest-running global professional esports tournament circuit in the world. Started in 2006 by Intel® and ESL, the competition features the world’s best gamers in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, StarCraft® II, and other esport titles. Approaching two decades of history and many record-breaking events in terms of viewership and stadium attendance, IEM is widely considered one of the most prestigious and traditional esports tournaments in the world (www.intelextrememasters.com).
About Visit Victoria
Visit Victoria is the state’s tourism, business and major events company, inspiring people to visit Melbourne and Victoria through creative story-telling and enriching events.
