Last Friday saw the open qualifiers for one of the biggest tournaments in the CS world: IEM Rio. This is the moment when hundreds of teams dream of breaking into the global scene, and every match can make or break the careers of young talents. This year, around 600 teams took part in the qualifiers. That’s slightly fewer than expected, which meant that quite a few teams received a bye in the early rounds. Of course, our partners were among the participants… Both Polish and international ones. How did they fare in a competition where every mistake could mean elimination? Let’s take a look step by step.
How did our partners fare in the open qualifiers for IEM Rio?
Lunacy Gaming
Lunacy Gaming began their campaign with a bye, allowing them to skip the first round and advance to the second stage without playing. Their first real opponent was the OLYMPIA team, and the match was played on the Mirage map. This was their first taste of competition in the tournament, and they immediately faced a tough opponent. The match was firmly dictated by their opponents, who quickly secured rounds on both the attack and defence, whilst Lunacy Gaming were unable to find an effective response. Ultimately, the result ended 2-13 in favour of OLYMPIA, meaning the Polish team’s participation in the open qualifiers came to an end.
Although the result was not favourable, the performance allowed Lunacy Gaming to play their first match in the IEM Rio qualifiers and test their mettle against a demanding opponent. A bye in the first round gave them a breather, but the clash with OLYMPIA showed that the road to the main tournament would be a challenging one.
Constrict Gaming
Like the rest of the field, Constrict Gaming began the qualifiers with a bye, meaning they did not play in the first round. Their first proper match took place in the second round, where they faced team_disahah on the Anubis map. The match ended in a decisive 13-4 victory for Constrict Gaming, allowing the team to progress to the next stage of the qualifiers.
In the third round, a much tougher opponent awaited them: the well-known and rather popular ENCE. The match was played on the Nuke map, and the final score was 4:13 in ENCE’s favour. This marked the end of Constrict Gaming’s run in the open qualifiers. In the second round, the team showed good form and dominated their rivals, but in the next clash they faced a formidable line-up that effectively controlled the course of the match.
To sum up, Constrict Gaming had a mixed start… From a bye, through a confident victory, to elimination following a defeat to ENCE. Despite their exit from the qualifiers, the team played two significant matches that showcased their capabilities and experience in international competition.
Vandals Clan
Naturally, Vandals Clan also began the qualifiers with a bye, which allowed them to skip the first round. In their first real match, they faced Emotionless Future on the Nuke map. The match ended in a decisive 13-1 victory for Vandals Clan, allowing them to confidently advance to the next round and maintain their winning streak in the qualifiers.
In the third round, a tough opponent awaited them, namely DPL. The match was played on the Ancient map, where Vandals Clan won 13-7. The result showed that the team is capable of maintaining control on the map even against a tougher opponent and advancing to the next stage of the qualifiers. The fourth round, however, brought another challenge. This time, it was Vandals Clan who faced ENCE. The match took place on the Nuke map and ended with a score of 1:13 in ENCE’s favour, which meant the end of Vandals Clan’s run in the open qualifiers. Despite being eliminated, the team secured two convincing victories, which allowed them to test their capabilities and compete against demanding opponents at a high level.
In summary, Vandals Clan had a qualifiers campaign full of both convincing victories and tough matches against strong rivals. From a bye, through a dominant victory and a controlled 13-7 win on Ancient, to the end of their run as Constrict following the defeat to ENCE. However, the team showed that they can compete on various maps and hold their own in international competition.
VoFoxen
In their first real match, VoFoxen faced FOX-TWO on the Overpass map. The match ended in a decisive 13-1 victory for VoFoxen, allowing the team to comfortably progress to the next round. In the third round, however, VoFoxen came up against a more challenging opponent in ASTRAL ESPORTS. The match was played on the Mirage map and ended 4:13 in favour of ASTRAL ESPORTS. This marked the end of VoFoxen’s journey in the open qualifiers, despite their strong performance in the previous match.
In summary, VoFoxen began the qualifiers with a bye, progressing through a comfortable victory before being eliminated following their defeat to ASTRAL ESPORTS. The team thus demonstrated that they can dominate their rivals and maintain control on selected maps, whilst also gaining valuable experience in competing against tougher opponents.
Panico eSports
Our Romanian partner, Panico eSports, also began the qualifiers with a bye. However, their opponent in the actual match was Project EVERSIO, and the encounter was played on the Overpass map. Unfortunately, the match ended with a score of 10:13 in favour of Project EVERSIO, meaning that Panico’s journey in the open qualifiers came to an end. This was their only match in the tournament following the bye, in which they had the chance to showcase their skills.
To sum up, Panico eSports, having started with a bye, unfortunately ended their campaign after a fairly even match. Despite being eliminated, the team gained experience playing on the international stage and took part in high-level competition, which could prove to be a key factor in their future tournament appearances.
Saturlity Esport
The last of the partners we managed to find in these qualifiers was Saturlity Esport. The French team also began the qualifiers with a bye, and their first real opponent was the jeleznienoji team, with the match taking place on the Anubis map. Unfortunately, the match ended 2-13 in favour of jeleznienoja, which meant the end of Saturlity Esport’s journey in the open qualifiers for IEM Rio.
In summary, Saturlity Esport ended their run following a heavy defeat, losing 2-13. Although the result was not favourable, the team took part in international competition and gained experience in a high-level tournament, which may prove useful in future competitions.
Qualifiers summary
The open qualifiers for IEM Rio proved to be a demanding test for our partners. Whilst some teams, such as Vandals Clan and Constrict Gaming, secured some victories, others showed their strength in the early rounds. However, after facing stronger opponents, none of the teams managed to advance to the next stage of the qualifiers.
Ultimately, this means we won’t see any of our partners at IEM Rio, but the experience gained and the matches played against tough opponents will certainly serve as a valuable benchmark for future encounters.
Lunacy Gaming (x.com — Facebook — YouTube — Discord)
Constrict Gaming (x.com — Facebook — twitch.tv — team profile)
Vandals Clan (Facebook — x.com — team profile)
VoFoxen Esport (x.com — Facebook — team profile — Discord — Instagram — TikTok)
Panico eSports (x.com, Instagram)
🇫🇷 Saturlity Esport (x.com, Instagram, TikTok, Discord, Twitch, YouTube)
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