ESL confirms CS:GO Major in Rio de Janeiro

Following yesterday’s teaser, ESL has now confirmed Rio de Janeiro as the location of the next CS:GO Major tournament. The IEM Rio 2022, set to kick off on Halloween, is the first CS:GO Major to be held in Brazil. 

IEM Rio Major 2022 is scheduled to start on October 31, with playoffs taking place from November 10 to 13 in front of a live audience at the Jeunesse Arena. The event will see 24 elite CS:GO teams battling for their share of the $1,000,000 prize pool and prestigious bragging rights.

The multi-purpose arena with a capacity of around 15,000 visitors previously hosted multiple esports events, including League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2017 and Rainbow Six Siege Season 8 Pro League finals in 2018.

Ulrich Schulze, Senior Vice President Product at ESL, commented:

“We are extremely excited and proud to host the next Major in Brazil. Our aim is to bring pure esports moments to the most passionate fans around the world and reward them by creating a unique experience on all levels. ”

With teams from all over the world having a chance to qualify and making their way to the final, we expect the matches to be incredible and the crowd to be the loudest we have ever seen.”

Tickets for the event will be available for purchase tomorrow, starting at $17.

Second shot at Rio

While this will be the first Major CS:GO tournament held in Brazil, it’s not the first time ESL plans to host the event in Rio. Originally, IEM Rio Major was supposed to happen back in 2020, however, the event was due to the COVID-19 pandemic rescheduled and later cancelled completely.

Since Brazil has one of the most dedicated and energy-filled CS:GO fanbases, which has been hoping for this moment for a long time, the confirmation of Rio de Janeiro as a location for the next Major is undoubtedly a cause for celebration.

The most recent CS:GO Major was held in Antwrep, Belgium. The tournament concluded just two days ago with a victory of FaZe Clan over Natus Vincere.

Header: ESL