ESL has officially unveiled the full list of invited teams for IEM Rio 2026, confirming the return of Tier 1 Counter-Strike to Brazil after a two year absence. The event will take place from April 13 to 19, with playoffs held at the Farmasi Arena, and will feature a $1,000,000 prize pool alongside valuable points in the ESL Grand Slam race.

The invited teams were determined using Valve Regional Standings data from January 5, 2026, with spots allocated across the main event, global closed qualifier, and Americas closed qualifier. Several high profile organisations have accepted their invites, while others have opted out, reshaping the final field.

IEM Rio 2026 Tournament Format Explained

The main event will feature 16 teams competing in two double elimination groups of eight. The top three teams from each group will advance to the playoffs, where they will battle it out for the trophy and a share of the seven figure prize pool.

Outside of the main event, 24 teams will fight through the closed qualifiers. Sixteen teams will play in the global closed qualifier, while eight teams will compete in the Americas closed qualifier. Two teams from the global bracket and one from the Americas will earn a place in the main event.

IEM Rio 2026 Main Event Invited Teams

The following teams have received direct invites to the main event through the VRS system.

• Passion UA
• FURIA
• Team Vitality
• Team Falcons
• Team Spirit
• Natus Vincere
• MOUZ
• Aurora Gaming
• B8
• Legacy
• G2 Esports
• Team Liquid
• 3DMAX
• Global Closed Qualifier Winner
• Global Closed Qualifier Runner Up
• Americas Closed Qualifier Winner

Eight of the top ten teams in the January VRS rankings will be present in Rio, with the notable exceptions of FaZe Clan and The MongolZ, both of whom declined their invites.

Global Closed Qualifier Teams

Sixteen teams will compete in the global closed qualifier, featuring a mix of established names and rising contenders.

• PARIVISION
• Heroic
• FUT Esports
• BC.Game Esports
• GamerLegion
• BetBoom Team
• Gentle Mates
• HOTU
• Fnatic
• EYEBALLERS
• K27
• 9INE
• Open Qualifier Team
• Open Qualifier Team
• Open Qualifier Team
• Open Qualifier Team

Americas Closed Qualifier Teams

The Americas closed qualifier will see strong representation from Brazil and South America.

• Imperial Esports
• Fluxo
• BESTIA
• YNG Sharks
• Open Qualifier Team
• Open Qualifier Team
• Open Qualifier Team
• Open Qualifier Team

The teams invited to #IEM Rio 2026! 🇧🇷

🟡Main event
🔵Global Closed Qualifiers
🟢Americas Closed Qualifiers pic.twitter.com/bES9NzN4gq

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) January 15, 2026

Teams That Declined Their Invites

Several major organisations have chosen not to participate in IEM Rio 2026, impacting both the main event and qualifier stages.

Main event declines include FaZe Clan and The MongolZ.

Global closed qualifier declines include Astralis, Ninjas in Pyjamas, and FlyQuest.

Americas closed qualifier declines include paiN Gaming, NRG, and M80, with scheduling and server region concerns believed to be contributing factors.

Roster Rules And Key Deadlines

All teams must maintain a majority of their roster from the original VRS invite date to remain eligible. The roster submission deadline for closed qualifiers is January 18, 2026, while main event teams must finalise rosters by March 30, 2026.

Brazil Welcomes Tier 1 Counter-Strike Back To Rio

IEM Rio 2026 marks the first Tier 1 Counter-Strike event in Brazil since 2022, when Natus Vincere lifted the trophy in front of a passionate home crowd. With elite teams like Vitality, Spirit, Falcons, and FURIA confirmed, the return to Rio is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated CS2 events of the year.

All matches will be streamed live on ESL’s official Twitch and YouTube channels, with tickets available for fans looking to attend in person.

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