ESL announced the groups and tie matches from which the opening rosters will be formed for its upcoming IEM Rio, an esports tournament that will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from October 7th to 13th. The prize pool is expected to be substantial, standing at $250,000.
The 16 invited teams have been divided into two groups according to the format. The winners of the upper bracket finals will qualify directly for the semi-finals of the playoffs while the runners-up in the upper bracket finals, plus the winners of the lower bracket finals, will head towards the quarter-finals.
The strong lineup in the new Group A will be headed by one of the newly crowned ESL Pro League S20 champions, NAVI. The group also holds two of the most anticipated opening matches, which will include a revenge match between Liquid and Complexity, which went down to the playoffs in Malta, and another battle between FaZe and FURIA.
In Group B, the runners-up of the Pro League will play Astralis. Other notable teams in this group include Vitality and G2.
Let’s take a look at the schedule:
Group A – October 7 2024
| Teams | Time |
| NaVi vs Rare Atom | 20:30 IST |
| Team Liquid vs Complexity | 20:30 IST |
| FaZe Clan vs FURIA Esports | 19:30 IST |
| MOUZE vs paiN Gaming | 19:30 IST |
Group B – October 7 2024
| Teams | Time |
| Virtus pro. vs The MongolZ | 22:30 IST |
| Eternal Fire vs Astralis | 22:30 IST |
| G2 Esports vs HEROIC | 21:30 IST |
| Team Vitality vs 9z Team | 21:30 IST |
