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ESL, one of the leading esports tournament organizers in the world, has announced that it will host another Counter-Strike: Global Offensive event in South America, following the success of the recently concluded IEM Rio Major in November 2022.
The CS:GO tournament, named IEM Brazil, will take place from April 17 to 23, 2023, and will feature a prize pool of $250,000.
The tournament organizer made the announcement in a press release featured on their official portal, stating that the IEM will take the spot of the former IEM Spring tournament set down for April 17-23, 2023.
“We promised to return to Brazil in 2023, and that’s exactly what we’ll be doing,” ESL announced.
“IEM Brazil 2023 will take the spot of the previously announced IEM Spring tournament between the 17th – 23rd of April this year. The 16-team ESL Pro Tour Masters tournament will feature a $250,000 prize pool and an Intel®Grand Slam contribution awarded to the champions.”
Although it has been announced that the esports tournament will be held in Brazil, the exact location and venue have not yet been revealed by ESL. However, Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte has reported that the event will be held in Rio de Janeiro, the same city that hosted the successful IEM Rio Major.
Sixteen teams from around the world will compete at the IEM Brazil tournament, with 11 teams receiving direct invitations from ESL. The remaining five spots will be filled through regional qualifiers, which will be held in Europe, North America, South America and Asia. The first open qualifier for the event will take place on January 21 in Asia, with the European and South American qualifiers starting on January 26.
The regional qualifiers will determine which teams will advance to the closed qualifiers, which will then decide which teams will qualify for IEM Brazil. In Europe and North America, two teams from the open qualifiers will advance to the closed qualifiers, while in South America and Asia, four teams will move on. The closed qualifiers will take place in February, with the top two teams in Europe and one team each from North America, South America, and Asia qualifying for the main event.
IEM Brazil will be a significant event for the CS:GO esports community, as it will not only offer a substantial prize pool but will also be a part of the Intel Grand Slam, a competition that awards a $1,000,000 prize to the first team to win four out of 10 designated CS:GO tournaments.
Below is an outline of the event format and scheduled dates
Europe
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First open qualifier: Jan. 27 to 28 (two teams progress to closed qualifiers)
Second open qualifier: Jan. 30 to 31 (two teams progress to closed qualifiers)
Closed qualifiers: Feb. 8 to 10 (two teams qualify for IEM Brazil)
North America
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First open qualifier: Jan. 26 to 27 (one team progresses to closed qualifiers)
Second open qualifier: Feb. 11 to 12 (one team progresses to closed qualifiers)
Closed qualifiers: Feb. 15 to 16 (one team qualifies for IEM Brazil)
South America
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First open qualifier: Jan. 26 to 27 (one team progresses to closed qualifiers)
Second open qualifier: Feb. 11 to 12 (two teams progress to closed qualifiers)
Closed qualifiers: Feb. 15 to 16 (one team qualifies for IEM Brazil)
Asia
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First open qualifier: Jan. 21 to 22 (two teams progress to closed qualifiers)
Second open qualifier: Jan. 23 to 24 (two teams progress to closed qualifiers)
Closed qualifiers: Jan. 26 to 27 (one team qualifies for IEM Brazil)
Further details about IEM Brazil, such as the location and invited teams, will be announced at a later date by ESL. Going by the reaction from fans and enthusiasts after the announcement of the tournament, IEM Brazil promises to be a highly-anticipated event for fans of the popular first-person shooter, which will bring together some of the best teams in the world to compete in Brazil.
