Teams Invited to IEM Rio 2024, ESL Impact League Season 6

ESL reveals teams invited to IEM Rio 2024, ESL Impact. Credit: ESL FACEIT Group

ESL FACEIT Group announced Wednesday the teams that have been directly invited to compete in two upcoming Counter-Strike 2 tournaments: the Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2024 and ESL Impact League Season 6.

For IEM Rio, partnered teams Astralis, FaZe Clan, MOUZ, G2 Esports, Natus Vincere, and Team Vitality have received direct invites, while Furia has been invited as a local favorite team (a “local hero invite”). The remaining teams have secured a spot at the competition through the ESL World Ranking Global—those include Complexity Gaming, Virtus.pro, The MongolZ, and 9z Globant.

An additional five spots are opened through Regional Open and Closed Qualifiers, taking place online on FACEIT between July 23 – Sept. 1:

European Qualifiers:

• Open Qualifier #1: Aug.  14-15.
• Open Qualifier #2: Aug.  18-19.
• Closed Qualifier: Aug.  26-28 – winner and runner-up qualify for IEM Rio 2024.

North American Qualifiers:

• Open Qualifier #1: Aug.  14-15
• Open Qualifier #2: Aug.  18-19
• Closed Qualifier: Aug.  31-Sept. 1 – winner and runner-up qualify for IEM Rio 2024.

South American Qualifiers:

• Open Qualifier #1: July 23-24
• Open Qualifier #2: July 25-26
• Closed Qualifier: July 28-29  – winner and runner-up qualify for IEM Rio 2024.

Asian Qualifiers:

• Open Qualifier #1: July 26-27
• Open Qualifier #2: July 28-29
• Closed Qualifier: Aug.  1-2  – winner and runner-up qualify for IEM Rio 2024.

IEM Rio 2024 kicks off on Oct. 7, at the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and features a total prize pool of $250K USD and a chance for teams to improve their standing in the Intel Grand Slam and get closer to securing its $1M cash prize. More information can be found here.

ESL also revealed details on ESL Impact League Season 6, its Counter-Strike 2 competition focused on women.  Kicking off Aug.  28, the ESL Impact League Season 6 will feature 28 all-women Counter-Strike 2 teams battling it out online to secure one of eight spots at  the Global Finals, a chance to win the lion’s share of the $150K prize pool, and take home the championship title. ESL Impact Season 6 Global Finals will take place in front of a live audience at DreamHack Stockholm at the Stockholmsmässan in Stockholm, Sweden, from Nov. 22-24

The teams directly invited to compete in the ESL Impact League Season 6 include:

• Astralis W (EU division)
• Atrix Esports (SA division)
• BIG EQUIPA (EU division)
• Fluxo Demons (SA division)
• FlyQuest Red (NA Division)
• FURIA (SA division)
• Imperial fe (EU division)
• Let Her Cook (EU division)
• MIBR (SA division)
• NAVI Javelins (EU division)
• Ninjas in Pyjamas (EU division)
• TSM Shimmer (NA division)
• Team Karma (NA division)
• Team Spirit (EU division)

Fourteen (14)  team spots are still available in EU, NA, and SA through Open Qualifiers on FACEIT:

European Qualifiers: 

• Open Qualifier #1: Aug.  4-6 (Winner/runner-up qualify for event).
• Open Qualifier #2: Aug.  9-11 (Top three teams qualify for event).

North American Qualifiers:

• Open Qualifier #1: Aug.  4-6 (Winner/runner-up qualify for event).
• Open Qualifier #2: Aug.  9-11 (Top three teams qualify for event).

South America Qualifiers:

• Open Qualifier #1: Aug.  4-6 (Winner/runner-up qualify for event).
• Open Qualifier #2: Aug.  9-11 (Winner/runner-up qualify for event).

ESL FACEIT Group is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Savvy Games Group—which in turn is owned by the Saudi government’s Public Investment Fund and its Chairman of the board is Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler HRH Crown Prince MBS. EFG is home to tournament organizer ESL, Esports Engine, competition platform FACEIT, and esports and gaming festival company DreamHack.