The IEM Rio Major 2022 is one of the biggest and most prestigious esports events of the year. In this guide, we will explain what the event is, which teams are participating, the route to the Grand Final and who the favourites might be.
What is the IEM Rio Major 2022?
The IEM Rio Major 2022 is the second Counter-Strike: Global Offensive major of 2022. The first one of the year took place in Antwerp in May, with FaZe Clan coming out as the winners.
This time, the CS:GO scene makes it way to Rio de Janeiro, with the tournament taking place between October 31 and November 13. It is the first time a CS:GO Major is happening in Brazil and it’s expected to be a milestone event, with even the first Challengers Stage being open to the public and a massive fan zone in the Cidade Maravilhosa, hosted by top Twitch streamer Gaules!
The first-place prize is $500,000 and guaranteed spots at both IEM Katowice 2023 and the BLAST Premier Final 2022.
Which teams will be at the IEM Rio Major 2022?
Twenty-four teams have qualified for the IEM Rio Major 2022 through local RMR events. Sixteen teams are representing Europe, making that region the most represented at the event.
Six teams qualified through the American RMR, a combination of the North American and South American scenes. Three of those teams will be playing in front of their Brazilian home crowd.
The Asia-Pacific region will be represented by just two teams at the IEM Rio Major 2022.
These 24 teams are grouped into three categories, based on their final standings in the RMR events: Contenders, Challengers, and Legends.
What is the route to the IEM Rio Major 2022 Grand Final?
The tournament starts off with the Challengers stage, which will be played in a 16-team Swiss System format. The Contenders and Challengers teams will be facing each other here, starting off with Bo1 (best-of-one) matches. The elimination and advancement matches are Bo3 (best-of-three). From this stage, the top eight teams will proceed through to the Legends stage, while the bottom eight are eliminated from the tournament.
In the Legends stage, the teams in the Legends category will enter the server. Again, we will see a Swiss System format, starting off with Bo1 matches before moving to Bo3 matches for the elimination and advancement matches. Again, only eight teams will proceed on to the Champions stage and the other eight teams are sent home.
The Champions stage is a single-elimination bracket and all matches will be Bo3. This all leads to the Grand Final to determine the winner of the IEM Rio Major 2022!
Who will win the IEM Rio Major 2022?
There are two teams who are currently the big favourites to win the IEM Rio Major 2022 – NAVI (5.020*), who have the world’s current best player Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev, and FaZe Clan (4.890*), led by their IGL, Finn ”karrigan” Andersen.
Other teams who should be in contention for the title are Team Vitality (6.080*), with star AWPer Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut, and the revitalised Ninjas in Pyjamas (7.900*), with Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen leading the team.
The likes of Heroic (9.200*) and Cloud9 (9.620*) are considered outsiders at this moment in time. If Team Liquid (12.380*) keep their momentum going after signing Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis, they too can be considered an outsider with a decent chance of going home with the trophy.
How do you bet on the IEM Rio Major 2022?
Betting on esports is easy; however, beginners might need a guide to navigate the various methods available for making a bet. To help, we’ve prepared a handy guide for those looking to place a bet during the IEM Rio Major 2022.
Pinnacle offers a number of markets for CS:GO enthusiasts to bet on during the IEM Rio Major 2022. The most popular market for esports bettors is the Money Line market, which is a bet on the winner of a particular match. Futures markets are also on offer if bettors want to bet on the team that will win the IEM Rio Major 2022.
If you’re an eagle-eyed bettor, be sure to stay updated on our IEM Rio Major 2022 odds. Pinnacle will offer the best CS:GO odds and a wide variety of different markets, both pre-match and in-play.
