IEM Rio 2026: Prize Pool, Tournament Format, and Participants

IEM Rio 2026 is the first major tournament in Brazil in 2026.

The tournament takes place from April 13 to April 19, 2026. The group stage (April 13–15) will be held in a studio, while the playoffs (April 17–19) will take place at the Farmasi Arena in Rio.

A total of 16 teams are participating. 11 spots were given through invites based on the global VRS ranking, while FURIA qualified via the South American invite, Passion UA via the North American invite, and 3 more teams advanced through global and American online qualifiers.

Format:

• The group stage features two double-elimination (GSL) groups with 8 teams in each, with all matches played in a Bo3 format.
• Three teams advance from each group: the group winner goes directly to the playoff semifinals, second place advances to the quarterfinals (upper bracket), and third place advances to the quarterfinals (lower bracket).
• The playoffs follow a single-elimination format, with all matches played as Bo3, except for the Grand Final, which is Bo5.

The total prize pool is $1,000,000, with $300,000 allocated to players and $700,000 to organizations (club share).

Where to watch:

• Official Ukrainian broadcast is available on the Maincast channel.
• The official English broadcast is on the ESL channel.

As a reminder, FUT Esports became the champions of PGL Bucharest 2026