Group stage schedule confirmed for IEM Rio

Seven of the top ten teams in the world are set to clash in Brazil.

The groups for IEM Rio have now been confirmed, as well as the schedule for the group stage of the event. 16 teams are set to do battle across two double elimination groups for the chance to fight for the lion’s share of $250,000 in the Jeunesse Arena.

Group A will host the second-highest ranked team in the event, HEROIC, and the Danes find themselves facing an intriguing matchup with 9INE in their opening match. The Poles have been on a tear so far this year, and all eyes will be focused on how they perform against elite opposition. The other side of the bracket hosts Ninjas in Pyjamas and Natus Vincere, so there is a chance that Daniil "⁠headtr1ck⁠" Valitov may face off against the organization he left to join the Ninjas.

Teams will battle for the chance to play in the Jeunesse Arena

The winners of ESL Pro League, FaZe, find themselves placed in Group B and reside in what many will consider the easier side of the bracket, as their highest-ranked potential opposition before the bracket finals is FURIA. Vitality and Cloud9 have also been placed in Group B, and are likely to face each other in the second round of play.

The group stage of IEM Rio will start with best-of-one opening matches, before moving to best-of-three. The winners of each group will advance directly to the semi-finals, whilst the second and third placed teams will progress to the quarter-finals. The grand final of IEM Rio will be a best-of-five.

The groups and opening matchups for IEM Rio, which kicks off April 17, are:

Group A

HEROIC vs 9INE (17:15 )
MOUZ vs BIG (17:15 )

Virtus.pro vs Ninjas in Pyjamas (16:00 )
Natus Vincere vs The MongolZ (16:00 )

Group B

FaZe vs 9z (19:45 )
fnatic vs FURIA (19:45 )

Vitality vs OG (18:30 )
Cloud9 vs MIBR (18:30 )