A week before the start of IEM Rio 2024, it became known that the Chinese organization Rare Atom will miss the legendary tournament in Brazil due to visa issues. Another team will miss the tournament because of visa problems in America. 

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Rare Atom to miss IEM Rio 

Rare Atom will not participate in IEM Rio due to visa issues. ESL confirmed this information and invited the Brazilian team Imperial to take the available spot in the 16-team tournament, which has a total prize pool of $250,000.

The Chinese team earned a slot at IEM Rio after winning the Asian closed qualifier, where they defeated TYLOO 2-1 in a tense final. Missing the tournament will be a serious setback for Rare Atom, who sought to gain international experience ahead of the important regional RMR tournament in Asia.

Imperial to replace Rare Atom 

Imperial will take Rare Atom’s place in Group A, where they will face NAVI right away. The Brazilians received the invitation thanks to their second-place finish in the South American qualifier. This makes them the third local team in the tournament, alongside paiN and FURIA.

Now, three Brazilian teams will defend their home country at the domestic tournament. Imperial will have the chance to showcase themselves on the international stage and perhaps surprise their fans on the path to the main stage of IEM Rio.

Tournament Format

IEM Rio 2024 kicks off on October 7 and will run until October 13 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The tournament format includes a group stage with a double-elimination system, where the qualifying and elimination matches will be held in BO3 format. Group winners advance directly to the semifinals, while second and third-placed teams will start their playoff run from the quarterfinals.

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Conclusion

For many teams, this tournament will be crucial before the upcoming Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 RMR, which will be held in mid-November and will be one of the important events this year. Thus, teams need to get in good shape at the LAN in order to show themselves at the RMR.