ESL Reveals IEM Rio 2026 Global Closed Qualifier Bracket: s1mple to Face Ursa

ESL has officially unveiled the tournament bracket for the IEM Rio 2026 Global Closed Qualifier. The closed qualifier will kick off on January 21 and will determine the final participants for one of the biggest CS2 events of the spring — IEM Rio 2026.

The original team lineup was adjusted ahead of the start of the competition. PARIVISION, HEROIC, and GamerLegion withdrew from the qualifier due to a scheduling conflict with the BLAST Bounty Finals, which will take place in Malta. ESL responded by reallocating the vacant slots to teams that narrowly missed qualification through the open stage.

IEM Rio 2026 Global Closed Qualifier Bracket

As a result, GenOne, Ursa, and KOLESIE have been added to the closed qualifier lineup. Following these changes, Gentle Mates became the highest-ranked team in the tournament. In the opening round of the upper bracket, they will face Nuclear TigeRES in a matchup that could set the tone for the entire qualifier.

One of the main storylines of the tournament is the participation of BC.Game, featuring Oleksandr s1mple Kostyliev. The team will start their campaign against Ursa, a match that has already drawn significant attention ahead of the opening day.

The IEM Rio 2026 Global Closed Qualifier will be played in a double-elimination format with 16 teams. At the end of the tournament, two teams will secure spots at the main IEM Rio 2026 event, scheduled for April 13–19. The main tournament will feature a total prize pool of $1,000,000.

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