ESL has announced the names of teams who have been invited to participate in the IEM Sydney 2023
The list of teams set to compete at IEM Sydney has been released by ESL. Seven teams received direct invitations in association with the tournament organizers, while four more teams secured their positions based on their performance in the ESL Ranking. Australian CSGO powerhouse Grayhound, also claimed a berth via the Local Hero Invite.
The first round of invites for THE BIG REUNION at #IEM Sydney is confirmed 🦘@TeamVitality@ENCE@FaZeClan@G2Esports@natusvincere@mousesports @C9CSGO @GamerLegion @Monte_Esports@FNATIC@grayhoundgaming
The remaining slots will be filled via qualifier 👊 pic.twitter.com/artOPnUWYo
— Intel® Extreme Masters (@IEM) August 9, 2023
Heroic, the reigning No. 1 team, and Astralis have both notably been left off the invitation list. Despite meeting the criteria for direct invites by virtue of their ESL Ranking, these teams have apparently turned down the opportunity.
Apart from that, eight out of the current top 10 teams as per HLTV rankings, and an additional two from the top 15 are set to participate. This includes the victorious G2 from IEM Cologne, ENCE who emerged triumphant at IEM Dallas, Vitality, the champions of the BLAST.tv Paris Major, FaZe, who clinched victory at ESL Pro League S17, and the newly formed rosters of MOUZ, GamerLegion, Natus Vincere, Cloud9, Fnatic, and Monte.
The $250,000 event set for October 16-12 will see its remaining five slots filled via qualifiers conducted in Europe, North America, Asia, and Oceania.
IEM Action Returns To Sydney Four Years Later
The return of IEM CSGO events to Australia has been a long-anticipated development. The last installment was IEM Sydney 2019, and the landscape of competitive gaming has seen considerable changes since then, including a complete era of online play.
🇦🇺 Have you ever? Ever felt like this? 🇦🇺
🚨 ANNOUNCING: #IEM SYDNEY 2023! 🚨
📅 OCTOBER 20 – 22
🎟️ TICKETS ON SALE THURSDAY ARVO
👊 GET AMONGST IT pic.twitter.com/5VuOoMP3vJ— ESL Australia (@ESLAustralia) June 20, 2023
To provide perspective, the IEM Sydney 2019 championship was secured by a Liquid roster led by Jacky “Stewie2K” Yip and Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken, a scenario that now appears almost unbelievable.
IEM Sydney 2023 is set to become the fourth Intel Extreme Masters event ever hosted in the city. Past victors include FaZe Clan and SK Gaming, with Liquid following suit. Amidst the ongoing frenzy of CSGO roster shuffles, the upcoming tournament serves as a prime opportunity for a budding team to make history.
IEM Sydney 2023 Lineup
- North America NA qualifier
- Oceania Oceania qualifier
