IEM Fall Europe: Six Major spots left, eight teams in the running

Five teams from the European RMR standings are now guaranteed to play at the PGL Major Stockholm and only six spots are left. Here's who can still make it and how.

With the group stage of IEM Fall coming to conclusion, we saw G2, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Vitality, Astralis, and HEROIC already ensure their spots at PGL Major Stockholm and a plethora of teams' hopes of making it to the Major crushed, including the likes of a few big names in fnatic, Complexity, and FunPlus Phoenix.

The results so far leave us with eight teams still in the running for the last six spots, which will be decided over the course of the rest of the week.

On Tuesday and Wednesday we'll see the 9th-12th decider bracket play out and possibly witness the fates of three of the teams who are still yet to guarantee their spot, BIG, OG, and FaZe, before we move on to the playoffs on Thursday, where four more teams could still fight for their Major hopes in Copenhagen Flames, Fiend, ENCE, and Movistar Riders.

Meanwhile, MOUZ are left having to watch from the sidelines for the results to unfold after exiting IEM Fall in the group stage, waiting find out whether they'll make the trip to Stockholm at the end of the month for the biggest tournament there is in CS:GO.

Let's look at what needs to happen for each of these eight teams to make it to PGL Major Stockholm. Here are the current European Regional Major Ranking standings for reference:

Qualified for PGL Major Stockholm
1. G2 - 3,046+ points
2. Ninjas in Pyjamas - 2,894+ points
3. Vitality - 2,886+ points
4. Astralis - 2,430+ points
5. HEROIC - 1,660+ points

Still in the running
6. MOUZ - 1,600 points
7-10. Copenhagen Flames - 1,406+ points
7-10. Fiend - 1,406+ points
7-10. ENCE - 1,406+ points
7-10. Movistar Riders - 1,406+ points
11. BIG - 1,200+ points
...
15. OG - 430+ points
...
19. FaZe - 248+ points

BIG, OG, FaZe

The 9th-12th decider bracket will see at least one more team guaranteeing a spot at the Major. At this point, HEROIC can only play spoiler to the rest due to a Legends spot realistically being out of reach for them barring big surprises in the playoffs, but BIG, OG, and FaZe are still playing for all the marbles. However, only two of them can make it at the same time.

Tuesday, October 5
17:00 HEROIC vs. BIG
17:00 OG vs. FaZe

Wednesday, October 6
17:00 9th and 11th place deciders

— The only way for BIG to advance is to win one of their two series, either vs. Heroic or the loser of OG-FaZe

— OG can guarantee a spot in one of three ways:

— 1. Winning the 9th-12th decider bracket

— 2. Beating FaZe and either BIG finishing 12th or one of Fiend/CPH Flames/ENCE/Movistar finishing 8th

— 3. Placing 11th and BIG finishing 12th and FaZe 10th

— The only way for FaZe to advance is to place 9th by winning the 9th-12th bracket, and then they need BIG to place 12th or one of Fiend/CPH Flames/ENCE/Movistar to place 8th

ENCE, Fiend, Copenhagen Flames, Movistar Riders

ENCE, Fiend, Copenhagen Flames, and Movistar Riders earned their first points in the standings by advancing to the playoffs and are in a place where they have three ways to advance to the Major, one of which could happen before they even get to play in the quarter-finals on Thursday:

— 1. Placing 8th and two of BIG finishing 12th, OG 11th at best, and FaZe 10th at best

— 2. Placing 7th and one of the other three teams finishing 8th, OG finishing 10th at best, or BIG finishing 12th

— 3. Placing at least 6th automatically guarantees them a spot alone

mousesports

Although it may not feel like it for them because it is out of their hands, MOUZ are the most comfortable as the team currently sitting just below the mark of the top five who are already through to PGL Major Stockholm.

All they need is just one of the following three things to happen:

— 1. BIG finish 12th

— 2. OG finish 10th at best

— 3. One of ENCE/Fiend/Copenhagen Flames/Movistar Riders to finish 7th at best