IEM Sydney 2023 Teams, Schedule, and More

IEM Sydney marks the return of IEM action in Australia and the tier-one debut of CS2. Here is everything you need to know about IEM Sydney 2023 teams, format, schedule and more

Sydney's gaming arena is about to witness a grand revival as Intel Extreme Masters returns to the Harbor City after a four-year absence. This long-overdue reunion is not just a nostalgic treat but also paves the way for a thrilling new era, becoming the very first major CS tournament post the spectacular launch of Counter-Strike 2 on September 27, 2023. Here is all you need to know about the competition.

Today's the DAY!

The FIRST #CS2 LAN taking place at #IEM Sydney 2023 🇦🇺 https://t.co/ompCdC6bCO pic.twitter.com/1FCZTtngOt

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) October 15, 2023

Contents

1 IEM Sydney 2023: How to Watch?
2 IEM Sydney 2023 Teams
3 IEM Sydney Format
4 IEM Sydney Prize Pool
5 IEM Sydney Schedule

IEM Sydney 2023: How to Watch?

Don't miss a second of IEM Sydney action – catch it all live on ESL's official CS Twitch channel, or tune in via their YouTube channel! You can find the links below:

IEM Sydney 2023 Teams

The 16-team roster ready to take the stage has been curated through a mix of partner slots, prized ESL ranking invites, and fierce qualifications. A curious omission from the list is the absence of Heroic and Astralis, the only top-10 teams to turn down their ranking invitations.

IEM Sydney 2023

Photo Credit: ESL

Here is the final list of teams set to grace the arena in Sydney:

Vitality
MOUZ
Natus Vincere
FaZe
GamerLegion
Apeks
BetBoom
VERTEX
ENCE
G2
Monte
Cloud9
Complexity
Fnatic
Lynn Vision
Grayhound

IEM Sydney Format

In a double-elimination setup, the participants have been sorted into two groups of eight. The first round begins with best-of-one battles, transitioning into best-of-three contests for the remainder of the tournament. The grand final will also be played in a B03 format. Claiming victory in their respective groups, the champion teams will secure a direct entry into the single-elimination playoffs' semi-finals. As for the teams in second and third place, they'll have a shot at the quarter-finals.

IEM Sydney Prize Pool

A significant sum of $250,000 USD awaits contenders at IEM Sydney 2023, and the champion team will celebrate with a $100,000 USD cash prize. Their victory will also grant them entry into IEM Katowice 2024.

Prize Distribution

Champions ($100,000 USD, IEM Katowice 2024 spot)
Runner-ups ($42,000 USD)
3rd-4th ($20,000 USD)
5th-6th ($10,000 USD)
7th-8th ($6000 USD)
9th-12th ($5000 USD)
12th-16th ($4000 USD)

IEM Sydney Schedule

Prepare for a week-long gaming extravaganza as IEM Sydney kicks off from October 16th to 22nd. The group stage promises action-packed simultaneous matches on the first three days, from Monday to Wednesday, followed by a thrilling playoff weekend from Friday to Sunday.

October 16, Monday

Natus Vincere 13 vs 9 Apeks (Group A Upper Bracket Quarterfinals, 6:30 PM PT (Oct 15), 9:30 PM ET (Oct 15), 3:30 AM CEST)
Vertex 2 vs 13 MOUZ (Group A Upper Bracket Quarterfinals, 6:30 PM PT (Oct 15), 9:30 PM ET (Oct 15), 3:30 AM CEST)
Team Vitality 16 vs 14 BetBoom Team (Group A Upper Bracket Quarterfinals, 7:30 PM PT (Oct 15), 10:30 PM ET (Oct 15), 4:30 AM CEST)
FaZe Clan 15 vs 19 GamerLegion (Group A Upper Bracket Quarterfinals, 7:30 PM PT (Oct 15), 10:30 PM ET (Oct 15), 4:30 AM CEST)
ENCE 13 vs 6 Lynn Vision (Group B Upper Bracket Quarterfinals, 8:30 PM PT (Oct 15), 11:30 PM ET (Oct 15), 5:30 AM CEST)
Cloud9 10 vs 13 Fnatic (Group B Upper Bracket Quarterfinals, 8:30 PM PT (Oct 15), 11:30 PM ET (Oct 15), 5:30 AM CEST)
G2 Esports 13 vs 11 Grayhound (Group B Upper Bracket Quarterfinals, 10:05 PM PT (Oct 15), 1:05 PM ET (Oct 15), 7:05 AM CEST)
Monte 9 vs 13 Complexity (Group B Upper Bracket Quarterfinals, 10:45 PM PT (Oct 15), 1:45 PM ET (Oct 15), 7:45 AM CEST)
Natus Vincere 1 vs 2 MOUZ (Group A Upper Bracket Semifinals 1, 9:30 PM PT (Oct 15), 12:30 AM ET, 6:30 AM CEST)
Apeks 2 vs 0 Vertex (Group A Lower Bracket Quarterfinals 1, 9:30 AM PT (Oct 15), 12:30 AM ET, 6:30 AM CEST)
BetBoom Team 2 vs 0 GamerLegion (Group A Upper Bracket Semifinals 2, 1:30 AM PT, 4:30 AM ET, 10:30 AM CEST)
Team Vitality 1 vs 2 FaZe Clan (Group A Lower Bracket Quarterfinals 2, 1:30 AM PT, 4:30 AM ET, 10:30 AM CEST)

October 17, Tuesday

Monte 2 vs 0 Grayhound (Group B Lower Bracket Quarterfinals 1, 7:30 PM PT (Oct 16), 10:30 PM ET (Oct 16), 4:30 AM CEST)
Complexity 0 vs 2 G2 Esports (Group B Upper Bracket Semifinals 1, 7:30 PM PT (Oct 16), 10:30 PM ET (Oct 16), 4:30 AM CEST)
ENCE 2 vs 1 Fnatic (Group B Upper Bracket Semifinals 2, 10:30 PM PT (Oct 16), 1:30 AM ET, 7:30 AM CEST)
Lynn Vision 0 vs 2 Cloud9 (Group A Lower Bracket Quarterfinals 2, 10:30 PM PT (Oct 16), 1:30 AM ET, 7:30 AM CEST)
Natus Vincere 1 vs 2 FaZe Clan (Group A Lower Bracket Semifinals 1, 1:30 PM PT, 4:30 AM ET, 10:30 AM CEST)
GamerLegion 2 vs 0 Apeks (Group B Lower Bracket Semifinals 2, 1:30 PM PT, 4:30 AM ET, 10:30 AM CEST)

October 18, Wednesday

Complexity 2 vs 1 Cloud 9 (Group B Lower Bracket Semifinals 1, 7:30 PM PT (Oct 17), 10:30 PM ET (Oct 17), 4:30 AM CEST)
Fnatic 1 vs 2 Monte (Group B Lower Bracket Semifinals 1, 7:30 PM PT (Oct 17), 10:30 PM ET (Oct 17), 4:30 AM CEST)
BetBoom Team 1 vs 2 MOUZ (Group A Upper Bracket Final, 10:30 PM PT (Oct 17), 1:30 AM ET, 7:30 AM CEST)
FaZe Clan 2 vs 1 GamerLegion (Group A Lower Bracket Final, 10:30 PM PT (Oct 17), 1:30 AM ET, 7:30 AM CEST)
ENCE 0 vs 2 G2 Esports (Group B Upper Bracket Final, 1:30 PM PT, 4:30 AM ET, 10:30 AM CEST)
Complexity 2 vs 0 Monte (Group B Lower Bracket Final, 1:45 PM PT, 4:45 AM ET, 10:45 AM CEST)

October 20, Friday

ENCE 0 vs 2 FaZe Clan (Quarterfinal 1, 10:30 PM PT (Oct 19), 1:30 AM ET, 7:30 AM CEST)
BetBoom Team 0 vs 2 Complexity (Quarterfinal 2, 1:30 AM PT, 4:30 AM ET, 10:30 AM CEST)

October 21, Saturday

MOUZ 2 vs 0 FaZe Clan (Semifinal 1, 10:30 PM PT (Oct 20), 1:30 AM ET, 7:30 AM CEST)
G2 0 vs 2 Complexity (Semifinal 2, 1:30 AM PT, 4:30 AM ET, 10:30 AM CEST)