ESL and Intel have partnered with the United Center and the Wintrust Arena to relocate IEM Oakland to Chicago.

The United Center will host IEM Chicago in 2019 and 2020, with the Wintrust Arena handling the 2018 installment.

Chicago will be the third city in North America to host an event on the Intel Extreme Masters global tournament circuit.

Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Oakland, the North American stop on the global esports tournament circuit, has been relocated to Chicago. Tournament organizer ESL and the circuit’s title sponsor Intel have signed a multi-year deal with the United Center and the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois to relaunch the event as IEM Chicago.

This year’s installment will be held at the Wintrust Arena on November 10 to 11. The event will move to the United Center, home of NBA franchise the Chicago Bulls, in 2019 and 2020.

Chicago was previously a stop on the Major League Gaming circuit, and the annual fighting game tournament Combo Breaker is held in the nearby city of St. Charles.

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Vice president of pro gaming at ESL Michal Blicharz said:

“We are very happy to have found a brand-new long-term home for Intel Extreme Masters in North America. Chicago, with its strong worldwide reputation and sports history is a perfect fit for what we are aiming to build with IEM in the years to come.”

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The event will move to the United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls, in 2019 and 2020.[/perfectpullquote]

The Intel Extreme Masters tournament circuit began in 2007 and currently includes stops in Katowice, Sydney, and Shanghai, in addition to the North American event. Each stop features competitions for multiple games, including a Counter-Strike tournament with a $250K prize pool. In 2019, IEM Katowice will also serve as a Valve CS:GO Major, upgrading the prize pool to $1M.

The first North American stop was added in 2014 in San Jose, California, and relocated to Oakland, California in 2016.