IEM Beijing 2026 Guide: $1.25M, 16 Teams and Why Vitality and Spirit Said No

IEM Beijing 2026 will be one of the final major Counter-Strike 2 tournaments before the PGL Major Singapore 2026. From November 2 to 8, 16 teams will compete in Beijing for $1.25 million and one of the last major trophies of the season.

The key detail is in the calendar. IEM Beijing starts on November 2, the exact date of the VRS cutoff for the PGL Major Singapore 2026. Results from the tournament will no longer help teams qualify for the Major. By the time the action begins in Beijing, the decisive VRS race will already be over.

Two of the biggest names originally invited will not be there. Team Vitality and Team Spirit declined their spots, with PARIVISION and FaZe taking their places.

"1. IEM Beijing 2026 Guide: $1.25M, 16 Teams and Why Vitality and Spirit Said No","1.1. IEM Beijing 2026: Dates, Venue and Prize Pool","1.2. All IEM Beijing 2026 Teams","1.3. Why Vitality and Spirit Skipped IEM Beijing","1.4. IEM Beijing 2026 Format","1.5. Why the November 2 VRS Cutoff Matters","1.6. So Why Does IEM Beijing Matter Before the Major?","1.7. Who Are the IEM Beijing 2026 Favorites?"

IEM Beijing 2026: Dates, Venue and Prize Pool

IEM Beijing 2026 will take place from November 2 to 8, 2026 in Beijing. The LAN event will be held at the Bloomage Biotech·Biohyalux ECM Arena.

The tournament features 16 teams and $1,250,000 in total winnings. ESL splits this amount between player prize money and club rewards. The champion, for example, will receive $125,000 in prize money plus a $235,000 club reward.

IEM Beijing is also part of the ESL Grand Slam VII race, so the tournament remains important for the top teams even though it will not affect qualification for the Singapore Major.

All IEM Beijing 2026 Teams

ESL distributed 13 direct invitations through the Valve Regional Standings. Ten spots went to teams from the Global VRS, with one additional invitation each for North America, South America and Asia. The final three spots were decided through the Global and Asia Closed Qualifiers.

The full team list is:

• Falcons

• MOUZ

• Natus Vincere

• Legacy

• FURIA

• BetBoom

• G2

• Aurora

• PARIVISION

• FaZe

• Liquid

• 9z

• The MongolZ

• B8

• HEROIC

• TYLOO

B8 and HEROIC secured the two spots available through the Global Closed Qualifier. B8 made it through the upper bracket and defeated Nuclear TigeRES 2-0 in their qualification match. HEROIC had to fight through the lower bracket after losing to Eternal Fire, but also beat Nuclear TigeRES 2-0 to claim the second spot.

The Asian spot went to TYLOO. FlyQuest were unable to play the deciding match due to internet connection issues, giving TYLOO a place at their home IEM event.

Why Vitality and Spirit Skipped IEM Beijing

Two of the strongest teams among the original invitees, Team Spirit and Team Vitality, decided to skip the tournament, but for different reasons.

Spirit were ranked No. 1 in the VRS used for the invitations but declined their spot due to a packed tournament schedule. PGL Masters Bucharest ends on October 31, IEM Beijing starts on November 2, and BLAST Rivals Hong Kong begins on November 9. Playing in Beijing would have meant an almost uninterrupted run of tournaments and travel ahead of the Singapore Major.

Spirit's spot went to FaZe, the next eligible team in the rankings.

Vitality's reason was related to their roster. According to ESL, two Vitality players are expected to take parental leave during IEM Beijing. Rather than attend with a heavily altered lineup, Vitality decided to skip the tournament entirely.

Their invitation went to PARIVISION, who were ranked 12th in the VRS used to distribute the spots.

Losing both Spirit and Vitality significantly changes the competitive picture. Two potential favorites are out before the first match, while FaZe and PARIVISION have gained direct entry to one of the biggest LAN events of the late season.

IEM Beijing 2026 Format

All 16 teams will start in the group stage. They will be divided into two groups of eight with double-elimination brackets. Every group-stage match will be played as a Bo3.

Three teams from each group will advance to the playoffs. The group winners will move directly to the semifinals, while the second and third-place teams will start in the quarterfinals.

The playoffs will use a single-elimination format. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be Bo3, while the grand final will be played as a Bo5.

Why the November 2 VRS Cutoff Matters

The most important detail surrounding IEM Beijing is not its format, but its start date.

November 2, 2026 is both the opening day of IEM Beijing and the VRS cutoff for the PGL Major Singapore 2026.

That means IEM Beijing starts too late to serve as a final opportunity to qualify for the Major. Teams will need to earn all the VRS points they need before the tournament begins.

This makes the preceding stretch of the calendar especially important. PGL Masters Bucharest ends on October 31, just two days before the cutoff, meaning results from the October events could ultimately decide which teams make it to the Singapore Major.

By the time teams arrive in Beijing, they will effectively already know whether they have qualified for the Major and where they stand heading into Singapore.

So Why Does IEM Beijing Matter Before the Major?

Although IEM Beijing results will no longer help teams qualify for the Singapore Major, the event remains one of the final major LANs before it.

For teams that have already qualified, Beijing offers a chance to test their form against Tier-1 opposition immediately before the biggest tournament at the end of the year. Falcons, MOUZ, NAVI, FURIA, G2, FaZe and other participants could get several high-level Bo3 series under their belts before heading to Singapore.

There is also a downside. The calendar is so packed that Spirit have already decided that another Tier-1 event is not worth the additional workload. Between Bucharest, Beijing, BLAST Rivals Hong Kong and the Singapore Major, there is very little room to rest.

EWC Is Over, the Real Race Starts: Every Team's Path to the PGL Major Singapore 2026

Who Are the IEM Beijing 2026 Favorites?

The competitive picture could still change before November, but the absence of Spirit and Vitality already makes the title race much more open.

Falcons and MOUZ look like two of the main contenders, with NAVI, FURIA and G2 also in the mix. FaZe and PARIVISION are particularly interesting. Neither team originally received one of the Global VRS invites, but both made the tournament after Spirit and Vitality declined their spots.

B8 and HEROIC have already passed the test of the closed qualifier, while TYLOO will have the opportunity to compete at a major international event in front of their home crowd.

The final picture should become much clearer after the October tournaments and the publication of the IEM Beijing seeding.