With only a few months remaining before the highly anticipated IEM Rio 2026 CS2 event kicks off, ESL has revealed the full list of teams invited to the event.
For the uninitiated, IEM Rio 2026 is all set to commence starting April 13, 2026, and will feature six days of competitive Counter-Strike before a winner is crowned on April 19. The event will see sixteen elite CS2 teams battling it out for a shot at the lion’s share of a $1 million USD prize pool, with the final three days taking place at the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
On January 15, ESL announced the full list of invited teams to the IEM Rio 2026 main event alongside invites for the global closed qualifier and the Americas closed qualifier.
The global qualifier will make way for two teams to the main event, while the Americas qualifier will award a single slot.
All Invited Teams to IEM Rio 2026
Below, we have listed all the teams that are confirmed to be a part of IEM Rio 2026.
Main Event Direct Invites
- Passion UA
- FURIA
- Team Vitality
- Team Falcons
- Spirit
- Natus Vincere
- MOUZ
- Aurora Gaming
- B8
- Legacy
- G2 Esports
- Team Liquid
- 3DMAX
Global Qualifier Invites
- PARIVISION
- HEROIC
- FUT Esports
- BC.Game Esports
- GamerLegion
- BetBoom Team
- Gentle Mates
- HOTU
- fnatic
- EYEBALLERS
- K27
- 9INE
Americas Qualifier Invites
- Imperial Esports
- Fluxo
- BESTIA
- YNG Sharks
Note that Astralis, Ninjas in Pyjamas, and FlyQuest have declined invites to the Global Closed Qualifier, while PaiN, NRG, and M80 declined invites to the Americas Closed Qualifier.