IEM Rio Major: How to Watch, Schedule, Format, Teams & More

"Come to Brazil," they said. Well, for the first time, a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Major will take place in Brazil. We are talking about the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Rio Major 2022, hosted by ESL, from 31st October to 13 November 2022.

A CS:GO Major is arguably the most exciting event for fans and competing teams. It is where legends are made, after all. This article outlines everything that CS:GO esports fans need to know about the IEM Rio Major 2022, from how to watch all the action to the format, schedule, teams competing, and even the prize pool distribution, so let's "Go Go Go!"

Update on 9 November 2022: The Champions stage of IEM Rio Major 2022 runs from 10 to 13 November. We've updated this article to reflect the matchups and schedule for the playoffs so you don't miss out on any CS:GO esports action.

IEM Rio Major Schedule & Format

The IEM Rio Major 2022 runs from 31st October to 13th November 2022. There are three stages to this massive CS:GO esports event.

The Challengers and Legends stages will take place at the Riocentro, while the Champions stage will take place at the fabulous Jeunesse Arena in front of a crowd.

Check out the schedule and format for the IEM Rio Major 2022 below, explaining how things will go down in Brazil.

Challenger Stage (31st October to 3rd November):

• 16 Team Swiss System Format.
• Elimination and Advancement matches are Bo3.
• All other matches are Bo1.
• The top 8 Teams proceed to The Legends Stage.
• The bottom 8 Teams are eliminated.

Legends Stage (5th to 8th November):

• 16 Team Swiss System Format.
• Elimination and Advancement matches are Bo3.
• All other matches are Bo1.
• The top 8 Teams proceed to Champions Stage.
• The bottom 8 Teams are eliminated.

The Champions Stage (10th to 13th November):

The top eight teams from the Legends stage will compete in a single-elimination bracket. Seeding will be done using the final rankings from the Legends Stage. In this stage, all matches are best-of-three.

Check out the matches for the Champions Stage below, including a complete schedule. Times are in GMT.

• Outsiders vs Fnatic – Quarter-Finals – 10 November at 17:00.
• MOUZ vs Cloud9 – Quarter-Finals – 10 November at 20:30.
• Spirit vs Heroic – Quater-Finals – 11 November at 17:00.
• FURIA vs Na’Vi – 11 November at 20:30.
• Semifinals 1 – 12 November at 17:00.
• Semifinals 2- 12 November at 20:30.
• Grand Finals – 13 November at 18:00

All IEM Rio Major 2022 Teams

Following several RMR events, 24 teams have secured their spots at the IEM Rio Major 2022. Based on their rankings and performance, teams have secured either Contenders, Challengers, or Legends statuses. 

We've already explained the format and how these different stages will work during the IEM Rio Major 2022, so let's look at all the teams below.

Legends teams:

• Na’Vi
• NIP
• FaZe Clan
• ENCE
• Heroic
• Sprout
• Team Liquid
• Team Spirit

Challengers teams:

• Cloud9
• Team Vitality
• OG
• Evil Geniuses
• 9z Team
• MOUZ
• BIG
• Bad News Eagles

Contenders teams:

• 00 Nation
• FURIA Esports
• Team GamerLegion
• Outsiders
• IHC Esports
• Imperial Esports
• Grayhound Gaming
• Fnatic

As you can see, the top teams in the world will compete at IEM Rio major 2022. Some didn't make it, for example, the shocking exit of G2 Esports and Astralis during the RMR. 

Remember to get that Viewer Pass to earn rewards during the IEM Rio Major.

How to Watch IEM Rio Major 2022

CS:GO esports fans can watch all the IEM Rio Major 2022 action live from the comfort of their homes since not everyone can come to Brazil.

To watch the IEM Rio Major 2022, you can check the schedule in this article and tune in via the ESL CS:GO Twitch channel. You can also watch highlights in case you missed a few matches via the ESL Counter-Strike YouTube channel.

For your convenience, we've embedded the Twitch stream below.

Prize Pool Distribution for IEM Rio Major 2022

First and foremost, the winner of the IEM Rio Major 2022 will qualify for IEM Katowice 2023, as well as the LAST Premier Final 2022.

They will also get the lion's share ($500,000) of the $1,250,000 prize pool. Check out the prize pool distribution for the IEM Rio Major below.

• 1st place wins $500,000.
• 2nd place wins $170,000.
• 3rd & 4th place wins $80,000 each.
• 5th to 8th place wins $45,000 each.
• 9th to 16th place wins $20,000 each.
• 17th to 24th place wins $10,000 each.

As shown in the prize pool distribution above, every team who has made it to the IEM Rio Major 2022 is already in the money. However, there's a huge difference between making it to 3rd place and winning the event.

So there you have everything a CS:GO esports fan needs to know about the IEM Rio Major 2022. Will we see FaZe Clan become back-to-back Major champions? Will Vitality on the back of the Chosen One claim the crown, or will Na'Vi reclaim their spot as the best team in the world?

No matter how you cut it, the IEM Rio Major 2022 is wide open, as there isn't a clear favorite.

Don't forget to check out our section dedicated to esports news, guides, tournaments, and much more.

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Featured image courtesy of ESL.