The WCS Winter Championship in StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void is set to take place during Intel Extreme Masters Katowice, and kicks off this Wednesday the 2nd of March. A lot is at stake, with 32 talented players vying for some amazing prizes. US$150,000 in prize money, 10,000 valuable WCS points and a WCS Global Playoffs seed are on the line during the four-day event - check out our survival guide to get prepared.

Key information

Where? Auditorium on Friday, Spodek arena on Saturday (find the map here) in Katowice, Poland

Auditorium on Friday, Spodek arena on Saturday (find the map here) in Katowice, Poland When? 2nd of March to 5th of March 2016

2nd of March to 5th of March 2016 Homepage: Intel Extreme Masters homepage

Intel Extreme Masters homepage Stream: http://www.twitch.tv/esl_sc2

http://www.twitch.tv/esl_sc2 32 top-tier StarCraft II players compete for US$150,000 in cash, 11,000 WCS points and a WCS Global Playoffs seed

The players

We can’t wait to see this incredible mix of pros battle in Katowice. Players have been invited based on WCS standings, their performances in the European and North American qualifiers as well as regional challengers.

The round of 32 bracket has already been drawn - you can check out the matchups below.*

Click to enlarge*

*Unfortunately, Bly will replace VortiX in the bracket, due to a family emergency.

Broadcast team

We’re happy to have some of the most dedicated hosts, commentators, analysts and observers on board to bring you the WCS Winter Championship.

The full talent lineup for the event is as follows:

Host: Paul “ReDeYe” Chaloner

Paul “ReDeYe” Chaloner Desk Host: Shaun “Apollo” Clark

Shaun “Apollo” Clark Analyst: Geoff “iNcontroL” Robinson

Geoff “iNcontroL” Robinson Commentator: Kevin “Rotterdam” van der Kooi

Kevin “Rotterdam” van der Kooi Commentator: Nathaniel “Nathanias” Fabrikant

Nathaniel “Nathanias” Fabrikant Commentator: Brendan Valdes

Brendan Valdes Commentator: Benjamin "Demuslim" Baker

Benjamin "Demuslim" Baker Observer: Alex “funka” Verrier

Click to enlarge

Full schedule

All times are given in CET (UTC+1) and may vary due to match lengths.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2ND (not open to public)

~12:00 to ~22:30 CET: Round of 32 matches

THURSDAY, MARCH 3RD (not open to public)

~12:00 to ~15:00 CET: Round of 32 matches

Round of 32 matches ~15:00 to ~22:30 CET: Round of 16 matches

FRIDAY, MARCH 4TH (auditorium)

~12:00 to ~17:00 CET: Round of 16 matches

Round of 16 matches ~17:00 to ~23:00 CET: Quarterfinals

SATURDAY, MARCH 5TH (main stage)

~12:00 to ~13:40 CET: Semifinal one

Semifinal one ~13:40 to ~15:20 CET: Semifinal two

Semifinal two ~15:20 to ~17:40 CET: Grand final

You can find the complete schedule on the Intel Extreme Masters site.

ESL Fantasy

Play for free in the public fantasy bracket challenge for the WCS Winter Championship! Predict the winners and score of each match during the tournament and prove your knowledge of the StarCraft II scene. Earn points for every correct winner you picked and additional points if you also predicted the correct score for that matchup. Or, if you just want to play against your friends, create your own private bracket challenge!

Sign up for the ESL Fantasy StarCraft II challenge here!

Interviews

We’ve conducted a series of interviews in anticipation of the big tournament as well as asked Apollo what he expects to see in Katowice - take a look.

Social media

Don’t miss a beat by following our Intel Extreme Masters and StarCraft II social media accounts:

We can’t wait to get started at the WCS Winter Championship during Intel Extreme Masters Katowice. Make sure to tweet us your predictions!

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