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The second major of 2022 will be held at the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, ESL Gaming announced Tuesday. Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2022 will run from Oct. 31-Nov. 13.

The IEM Rio 2022 major has been one of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s worst kept secrets since the possibility was first reported by Dexerto in January 2022. It will be the second major of the year, following up on the recent PGL Major Antwerp 2022 where FaZe Clan won the trophy.

Two years ago, ESL announced ESL One: Rio 2020. Due to COVID-19, the event was canceled. This 2022 major will be the replacement for ESL One. It will be ESL’s 10th major since the very first CS:GO major took place at DreamHack Winter in 2013.

“We couldn’t be more excited to finally bring the major to Rio de Janeiro,” Ulrich Schulze, SVP product management at ESL Gaming, said in a press release. “The ever-growing and passionate Brazilian esports community is amazing and for the past couple of years we have been hoping to provide the fans with one of the greatest esports experiences ever.”

The tournament will be the 18th CS:GO major. In it, twenty-four teams will face off for the prestigious trophy, which will also count towards the Intel Grand Slam. That means an extra $1 million could be on the line on top of the base prize pool.

The format of the tournament will be the same as PGL Major Antwerp, with Swiss style Challengers and Legends stages followed by a single-elimination playoffs. The regional major rankings events leading up to the major will be called IEM Road to Rio.

IEM Rio 2022 will be the first CS:GO major held in South America. Traditionally, Brazil has been one of the most passionate fanbases in Counter-Strike. Many expect incredible viewership numbers and an energetic live audience from the Brazilian fans.

Tickets for IEM Rio 2022 will open at 1 p.m. ET on May 25. Anyone who still has an ESL One ticket will be able to use it at IEM Rio 2022.