EMS One will feature a $250,000 CS:GO tournament

This article was originally published on GameSpot's sister site onGamers.com, which was dedicated to esports coverage.

Editor's Note: Statements added from ESL and Ninjas in Pyjamas.

Now, more than a year since ESL dropped the game from it's Intel Extreme Masters circuit, the organisation has decided to invest in to the decade-old franchise once again with a whopping $250,000 dollars together with Valve, ASUS and Intel. This is the second community-funded CS:GO tournament initiated by Valve themselves, with $250,000 going to DreamHack Winter after their Arms Deal initiative.

"When we look at the rapid growth of the CS:GO back to the forefront of eSports it's incredibly exciting" EMS One Product Manager James Lampkin tells onGamers. "To put CS at EMS One in Katowice with more than 10,000 roaring Polish fans...it's exactly what a game with that level of depth and dedication to be a pro deserves."

"In 2014 we are looking to push EMS even further and the CS:GO finals will be just the beginning. Whether you are a fan of ESL's level of production, a CS fan or a general lover of competitive gaming, it's an amazing time to be a part of esports."

Counter Strike as an esport made an incredible comeback at the Dreamhack CS:GO SteelSeries Championship, where it managed to become the second most viewed game at the event on Twitch.TV and fnatic were rewarded with a $100,000 check after defeating the ultimate CS:GO division NiP.

"I really think that EMS One deserves to get the Valve funded prize pool as they really put on a great production and comfort for the players the past seasons" says NiP starter Adam Friberg. "It is one of the best tournaments to attend as a player and one of the best ones to watch as a spectator so it was no real surprise for me."

"We in NiP are really thrilled to attend the tournament as we were the runner-up for the first place at DreamHack! The CSGO scene is growing a lot thanks to Valve and everyone buying the eSport keys. This is exactly what the game needs to get the former glory it had a few years back!"

The top 8 from Dreamhack Winter will be automatically seeded in to the tournament, which will leave the following eight slots for the team's who manage to qualify in the various qualifiers for the tournament.

EMS One is going to take place between the 14-16th of March, 2014.

Image Source: FragBite.se, ESL Flickr