As one of the biggest local esports events it should come as no surprise that the Intel Extreme Masters will return to Sydney in 2019 - bigger and better. Thanks in part to the continued partnership between Intel and ESL, which will see a massive $100 investment from the pair to "shape the future landscape of esports through innovative technology, tournaments, and events".

The growth will see more events both locally and within the APAC region - which should see the CS:GO Pro League make its presence known in a major way. “ESL and Intel have worked side by side on growing esports for nearly two decades,” said Ralf Reichert, Founder and Co-CEO at ESL. “We built a number of cornerstones of this industry together and helped many gamers in becoming legends of the sport. The long-term extended partnership with Intel opens even more opportunities for us to take our efforts to a whole different level on a global scale."

“This joint investment with ESL into the ecosystem means that the esports growth and innovation that we’ve led over the past two decades will continue,” said John Bonini, Vice President and General Manager of VR, Gaming and Esports at Intel Corporation. “This partnership will advance the rapid evolution of esports, and Intel is committed to ushering in this new era with technology solutions that place the gaming community and fans first.”

It's a move that is definitely encouraging, especially when IEM Sydney 2018 attracted over 13.5 million unique viewers online, in addition to the 75,000 fans attending the event across each day. IEM Sydney 2019 will be the 75th IEM global event, an anniversary and impressive milestone that will no doubt lead to a bigger presence.