ESL Gaming announces IEM Rio Major
Almost two years after the cancellation of the ESL One Rio Major 2020, due to the Covid pandemic, ESL Gaming have announced the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Rio Major 2022. The Rio Major will be the 18th CS:GO Major and will take place from October 31 - November 13 and will be held in Rio de Janeiro.
The announcement of the Major was made by Brazilian streamer Alexandre ‘Gaules’ Borba, who will also serve as the Portuguese language caster for the tournament. The tournament is set to have a prize pool of $1 million with 24 teams competing for CS:GO's biggest crown. The final stages of the tournament will be held in front of the audiences at the Jeunesse Arena in the Barra da Tijuca region in Rio de Janeiro.
The announcement comes on the back of the PGL Antwerp Major 2022, the year's first Major and also the tournament that saw a record viewership of more than 2.1 million views, which is the second largest in the sport's history. The Antwerp Major was won by FaZe Clan who beat Natus Vincere 2-0 in the grand finals.