Natus Vincere and Monte are set to compete in the forthcoming Intel Extreme Masters Sydney 2023, which is just around the corner. So, we have gathered the most up-to-date information about this tournament for you!

When and where will the competition take place?

As the entire month of September will host the ESL Pro League Season 18, with all players being in Malta, IEM Sydney will be held in one of Australia's towns - Sydney!

The tournament will kick off on October 16 and the final day is scheduled for October 22, 2023!

Tournament Format

All teams will be divided into two groups (8 in each) and will play using the Olympic system with a second chance bracket. Only 3 teams from each group will advance to the playoffs.

Securing the top spot in a group will get the team straight to the semifinals, while teams that finish in second or third place will move on to the championship quarterfinals.

The playoffs will be held without a losers' bracket. All matches will be in a bo3 format!

Who will be playing in the tournament?

A total of 16 teams will participate in the competition!

The full list of participants is provided below, as well as how they qualified for Intel Extreme Masters Sydney 2023:

• ENCE (Partner Team)  
• FaZe Clan (Partner Team)  
  
• G2 Esports (Partner Team)  
  
• MOUZ (Partner Team)  
  
• Natus Vincere (Partner Team)
  
• Team Vitality (Partner Team)  
  
• Cloud9 (Global Ranking)  
  
• Monte (Global Ranking)
  
• GamerLegion (Global Ranking)  
  
• Fnatic (Global Ranking)  
  
• Grayhound Gaming (Best Local Team)  
  
• Apeks (European Qualification)  
  
• BetBoom Team (European Qualification)  
  
• Complexity Gaming (North American Qualification)  
  
• Lynn Vision Gaming (Asian Qualification)
  
• VERTEX Esports Club (Oceania Qualification)  

Prize Pool

The total prize pool for the championship is $250,000. Its distribution is provided below. Notably, the team that secures first place not only receives prize money but also a direct slot for IEM Katowice 2024!

However, past experience shows that the winner does not always get a direct invite, as it could be a partner team or an already invited organization. Thus, it's still unclear who will take this slot.

Prize distribution:

• 1st place - $100,000 and a slot at IEM Katowice 2024
• 2nd place - $42,000
  
• 3rd-4th place - $20,000
  
• 5th-6th place - $10,000
  
• 7th-8th place - $6,000
  
• 9th-12th place - $5,000
  
• 13th-16th place - $4,000