StarLadder Major New Challengers Stage first match-ups, schedule revealed

StarLadder has released the complete the schedule and the first-round match-ups for the New Challengers Stage of the Major.

The second Counter-Strike Major of the year will kick off on August 23 with the New Challengers Stage, featuring 11 teams determined through the Minors system and five Returning Challengers from IEM Katowice.

As a baseline seeding tool, StarLadder used HLTV.org's ranking between March 4 – when the first post-Katowice ranking update took place – and August 12, with the impact that roster changes have on teams' ranking points unaccounted for.

The first match-ups for the StarLadder Major are in

Each team was assigned an ELO rating matching their seeding. After every match, the teams' ELO is adjusted – the winners taking a portion of the losers' points –, with the following round's match-ups being determined accordingly.

The top eight teams of the New Challengers stage will progress to the New Legends Stage, joining the eight-best teams from IEM Katowice. Both stages will be held at the Verti Music Hall and feature a Swiss system, with all progression (2-0 and 2-1 pools) and elimination matches featuring a best-of-three format.

Below you can find the match-ups for the first round:

Vitality vs. Syman
NRG vs. DreamEaters
G2 vs. TYLOO
North vs. INTZ
FURIA vs. HellRaisers
MOUZ vs. FORZE
AVANGAR vs. Complexity
CR4ZY vs. Grayhound

As part of Valve's plan to reduce the impact of the Majors on the tournament calendar, the New Challengers Stage has been reduced from five to four days. During the first three days of this stage, two matches will be played simultaneously on the main and secondary English streams at all times.

The full schedule for the New Challengers Stage looks as follows:

Friday, August 23
12:00 - Vitality vs. Syman
12:00 - NRG vs. DreamEaters
13:15 - G2 vs. TYLOO
13:15 - North vs. INTZ
14:30 - FURIA vs. HellRaisers
14:30 - MOUZ vs. FORZE
15:45 - AVANGAR vs. Complexity
15:45 - CR4ZY vs. Grayhound
17:00 - Round 2 match #1 | BO1
17:00 - Round 2 match #2 | BO1
18:15 - Round 2 match #3 | BO1
18:15 - Round 2 match #4 | BO1
19:30 - Round 2 match #5 | BO1
19:30 - Round 2 match #6 | BO1
20:45 - Round 2 match #7 | BO1
20:45 - Round 2 match #8 | BO1

Saturday, August 24
13:00 - Round 3 match #3 | BO1
13:00 - Round 3 match #4 | BO1
14:15 - Round 3 match #5 | BO1
14:15 - Round 3 match #6 | BO1
15:30 - Round 3 match #1 | BO3
15:30 - Round 3 match #7 | BO3
18:45 - Round 3 match #2 | BO3
18:45 - Round 3 match #8 | BO3

Sunday, August 25
12:00 - Round 4 match #1 | BO3
12:00 - Round 4 match #2 | BO3
15:15 - Round 4 match #3 | BO3
15:15 - Round 4 match #4 | BO3
18:30 - Round 4 match #5 | BO3
18:30 - Round 4 match #6 | BO3

Monday, August 26
12:00 - Round 5 match #1 | BO3
15:15 - Round 5 match #2 | BO3
18:30 - Round 5 match #3 | BO3