Earlier this week, ESL confirmed that the next major will take place in Brazil, specifically Rio de Janeiro. It was supposed to be held here back in 2020, but was canceled due to the pandemic.
The organizers do not plan to make any significant changes to the tournament scheme. Twenty-four teams selected through RMR tournaments will compete for first place in three stages. The first of these will begin in late October. Most of the competition will be held without spectators, but starting with the playoff stage, scheduled for November 10-13, cybersports fans will be able to see the participating teams at the stadium «Jeunesse Arena», with a capacity of more than 20 thousand people. The prize pool, as in the previous major, will be $1,000,000.
In the past, Brazil has hosted several major events such as ESL One Belo Horizonte and ESL Pro League Season 4 Finals. However, the upcoming major will be of historic significance as it will be the first event of this level to be held outside of Europe and North America.
One of ESL Gaming's CEOs, Ulrich Schulze, commented on the event as follows: «Brazil's passionate and ever-growing cybersports community is delightful, and for several years now we have dreamed of giving fans one of the most amazing experiences. Now that time has finally come and we look forward to seeing the world's best teams perform at «Jeunesse Arena».