Top Teams to watch at the Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2023

Will your favorite team scoop the $100,000 first-place prize?


Top Teams to watch at the Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2023

Teams participating in Intel Masters Rio 2023 (Image via IEM Rio)

The Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2023 is kicking off on April 17th in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil! 16 of the most elite CS:GO teams on the planet will descend on the Jeunesse Arena. This event is completely sold out, and the atmosphere will be absolutely electric.

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Brazilian esports fans are the most passionate in the world! You will barely be able to hear the commentators as fans will be chanting and blowing trumpets the whole event, especially when the Brazilian teams are playing.

There is a massive $250,000 prize pool up for grabs, and the winner will walk away $100,000 richer and score an invite to the IEM Cologne 2023 tournament later in the year. You can live stream every match from the Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2023 at GGBET! Keep reading to find out which teams are competing, who the favorites are, and some of the potential storylines that might emerge!

What teams are participating in the Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2023?

intel masters rio 2023 h2
IEM Rio 2023 (Image via IEM Rio)

This is one of the most exclusive CS:GO tournaments of the year. There are hundreds of talented pro teams from all across the globe, but only 16 will be taking part in Rio de Janeiro. Here is a full list of qualified teams:

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  • Cloud9
  • 9z Team
  • FURIA Esports
  • Natus Vincere
  • Fnatic
  • Heroic
  • 9INE
  • Ninjas in Pyjamas
  • BIG
  • Team Vitality
  • Outsiders
  • IHC Esports
  • MOUZ
  • MIBR
  • FaZe Clan
  • OG

All of the top teams in the world will be at this event. We can’t wait to see the likes of FaZe Clan battling against Natus Vincere, Outsiders, and Heroic. It will also be fun to see how the Brazilian squads, MIBR, and FURIA Esports. With the home crowd support, some upsets are bound to happen!

Related: How to rank up in CS:GO ?

How does the Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2023 Tournament work?

The tournament will start with a group stage. Two groups of 8 teams will be formed. Each team will play their group members once. Then the best 3 teams from each group advance to the playoffs. The number 1 seeds head straight to the semi-finals, while the other 2 teams need to battle it out in the quarterfinals.

The playoffs are single elimination. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be best of 3 series, and then the final will be a best of 5 series. Can you imagine the atmosphere if the final ends up 2-2 and comes down to the critical 5th match?

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Heroic are the slight favorites to win!

iem heroic
Heroic CS: GO (Image via Heroic)

With G2 Esports not taking part in this tournament, Heroic are the top in-form team. The Norwegian squad has been ripping it up lately! They won the BLAST Premier: Fall Finals 2022 for $200,000, where they put a clinic on FaZe Clan in the finals. They followed that up with a second-place finish at the Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2023, going down to G2 Esports in the final.

Heroic are going to be extra amped up for this event, especially since they took second last year. They have the experience of playing in Brazil and have wins over most of the teams in the lineup. Keep an eye on cadiaN; if he is playing well, then Heroic should cruise to the finals.

 We can’t wait to see Heroic get revenge against Outsiders, who took out the Norwegian team in the final at last year’s event. This year we expect Heroic to make the necessary adjustments and walk away with the win!

Expect FaZe Clan to play well

iem faze clan
FaZe Clan CS: GO (Image via FaZe Clan)

FaZe Clan still has the same squad that went on one of the sickest runs in esports history. During their hot streak, they scooped over $2 million and a number of prestigious tournaments, including the Intel Extreme Masters XVII – Cologne and the PGL Major Antwerp 2022.

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FaZe Clan have struggled a bit in 2023, but it is only a matter of time before they get back to their winning ways. You can never count out this talented team, especially when they have Twistzz on their roster, who is considered one of the top 5 CS:GO players in the world. They also have rain which has tons of big match experience and more than $1 million in tournament winnings!

We expect FaZe Clan to make a deep run in the playoffs. However, if they come up against Outsiders or Heroic in the semi-finals or final, they will probably lose in a close battle!

The Brazilian teams will cause some shock upsets

Don’t underestimate the power of home-field advantage! The two Brazilian teams, MIBR and FURIA Esports will be competing in front of thousands of screaming Brazilians. These fans have the power to overwhelm the foreign teams and give the local sides the much-needed boost.

There is no doubt that MIBR and FURIA Esports are long shots to win this tournament, but never say never. Of the two local teams, FURIA Esports has the best chance. This Brazilian team has $1.5 million in tournament winnings and last year took 3rd at the Intel Extreme Masters Rio. If they can recreate last year’s form, expect them to be in the playoffs and give the top teams fits!

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We can’t wait for the Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2023! This massive tournament starts on the 17th of April and runs until the 23rd of April. There is a $250,000 prize pool, and we expect fireworks from start to finish. Heroic are the favorites to win the tournament, but other teams who have a great shot at winning include FaZe Clan, Outsiders, and the hometown team, FURIA Esports. You can bet on FURIA Esports to win and receive amazing odds at GGBET. Comment below which team you think will become the champions!

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