StarSeries i-League Season 8 viewer's guide

With StarSeries i-League Season 8 around the corner, HLTV.org presents a comprehensive viewer's guide for the $500,000 event.

Taking place in Belek, Turkey on October 21-27, StarSeries i-League Season 8 boasts a sizeable $500,000 prize pool and 16 contestants. Split into two equal groups, the squads will duke it out in double-elimination GSL groups in looks to advance to the playoffs.

Also featuring a double-elimination bracket, the playoffs will see four teams from each group, with winners assuming a spot in the upper bracket, meanwhile runners-up will have to fight it out in the lower bracket. The tournament will culminate on October 27 at 17:30 CEST, witnessing the two finalists face off for the crown.

Present at the event are Natus Vincere, who secured the title in season 7 of the tournament series with a previous iteration of the roster. Looking to dethrone the standing champions are a list of up-and-coming sides, as well as established fives including Evil Geniuses, MOUZ, fnatic and MIBR.

Following are the group draws for the tournament:

Below is a full schedule for the upcoming matches:

Monday, October 21
09:00 - MOUZ vs. North | BO3
09:00 - Vitality vs. Invictus | BO3
12:30 - Renegades vs. MIBR | BO3
12:30 - fnatic vs. Imperial | BO3
16:00 - Group A Upper bracket semi-final #1 | BO3
19:30 - Group A Upper bracket semi-final #2 | BO3

Tuesday, October 22
09:00 - Ninjas in Pyjamas vs. FURIA | BO3
09:00 - Evil Geniuses vs. 5POWER | BO3
12:30 - Natus Vincere vs. G2 | BO3
12:30 - AVANGAR vs. HEROIC | BO3
16:00 - Group B Upper bracket semi-final #1 | BO3
19:30 - Group B Upper bracket semi-final #2 | BO3

Wednesday, October 23
09:00 - Group A Lower bracket Round 1 #1 | BO3
09:00 - Group A Lower bracket Round 1 #2 | BO3
12:30 - Group B Lower bracket Round 1 #1 | BO3
12:30 - Group B Lower bracket Round 1 #2 | BO3
16:00 - Group A Lower bracket semi-final #1 | BO3
16:00 - Group A Lower bracket semi-final #2 | BO3
19:30 - Group B Lower bracket semi-final #1 | BO3
19:30 - Group B Lower bracket semi-final #2 | BO3

Thursday, October 24
11:00 - Group A Upper bracket final | BO3
11:00 - Group A Lower bracket final | BO3
14:30 - Group B Upper bracket final | BO3
14:30 - Group B Lower bracket final | BO3
18:00 - Group A consolidation final | BO3
18:00 - Group B consolidation final | BO3

Friday, October 25
09:00 - Lower bracket Round 1 #1 | BO3
12:30 - Lower bracket Round 1 #2 | BO3
16:00 - Upper bracket semi-final #2 | BO3
19:30 - Upper bracket semi-final #1 | BO3

Saturday, October 26
09:00 - Lower bracket semi-final #1 | BO3
12:30 - Lower bracket semi-final #2 | BO3
16:00 - Upper bracket final | BO3
19:30 - Lower bracket final | BO3

Sunday, October 27
14:00 - Consolidation final | BO3
17:30 - Grand final | BO3

Concluding the guide is the talent list, featuring Auguste "⁠Semmler⁠" Massonnat, who marks his return to CS:GO casting. As for the desk, Alex "⁠Machine⁠" Richardson and Tres "⁠stunna⁠" Saranthus will be hosting a rotation of analysts including Chad "⁠SPUNJ⁠" Burchill and Mathieu "⁠Maniac⁠" Quiquerez. Three casting pairs will be covering matches live, meanwhile, Pala Gilroy Sen will be in charge of interviews over the course of the event.

Here is the full talent list for StarSeries i-League Season 8:

Alex "Machine" Richardson — Desk host
Tres "stunna" Saranthus — Desk host

Pala "Pala" Gilroy Sen — Interviewer

Chad "SPUNJ" Burchill — Analyst
Sean Gares — Analyst
Mathieu "Maniac" Quiquerez — Analyst
Jacob "Pimp" Winneche — Analyst

Anders Blume — Caster
Jason "moses" O'Toole — Caster
Auguste "Semmler" Massonnat — Caster
Henry "HenryG" Greer — Caster
Harry "JustHarry" Russell — Caster
Hugo Byron — Caster