Esports company ESL has announced that the incredibly popular Intel Extreme Masters series will be making a stop in Australia for the very first time this year, with the first event in the annual global circuit taking place in Sydney.

On May 6–7 at the Qudos Bank Arena, IEM Sydney will feature the world's top Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams going head-to-head for a share of the $260,000 prize pool, a record amount for an Australian event.

So far confirmed to appear are SK Gaming — a global team based in Germany that has already won two $US1 million CS:GO Majors — and Renegades, a US-based team whose CS:GO roster is predominantly composed of Australian competitors. In all, six international invitee teams will compete with local hopefuls at the event.

The world's longest-running global Esports series, IEM is now in its twelfth year. In addition to CS:GO, the series also includes events in Starcraft II, League of Legends, Hearthstone and more.

Having the first event of the 2017 series in Sydney will give Australian Counter-Strike fans a rare chance to see an internationally important event live in an arena, but many more will be watching online. The final event of the 2016 IEM, in Katowice, attracted 1 million concurrent viewers on its Twitch stream alone.

"Bringing an industry-leading event to Australia is an exciting opportunity as we have some of the most passionate esports enthusiasts in the world," said ESL Australia's managing director Nick Vanzetti. "The prestige and legacy the Intel Extreme Masters brand brings mixed with the world's best players is the perfect recipe for a historic weekend in esports."

In addition to the action on-stage, ticket-holders to the event will get access to player signings and meet-and-greets, plus a showcase of the latest gaming gear and games from event sponsor Intel.