International superstars debut down under this May.
ESL just announced the Australian debut of Team Liquid. They’ll join Ninjas in Pyjamas at the Intel Extreme Masters in Sydney. These powerhouse North American and European teams join eight international teams at the event. The roster also includes MIBR, Renegades, and FaZe Clan. These five teams have been directly invited following their recently obtained “Legend” status. “Legend” means you are one of the top eight Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams in the world. The status was granted at the IEM Katowice Major this year. Aussie fans will be pumped to see five of the top eight teams in Australia.
Team Liquid and NiP’s first time in Australia
With combined earnings of over $4,000,000 USD, IEM Sydney 2019 marks Team Liquid and NiP’s first journey to Australia. Both teams are coming to the top-level CS:GO event Australia has to offer. They’ll be taking their first shot at their share of the $250,000 USD prize pool. Team Liquid and NiP both have impressive CS:GO resumes. They each have over $2,000,000 USD in winnings.
Nick Vanzetti, the Senior Vice President of ESL APAC, is excited to see Aussie fans welcome these international teams:
Aussie fans will welcome Team Liquid and NiP when they take the stage, and local teams will relish the opportunity to take on the biggest names in CS:GO. IEM Sydney has become a destination for the biggest teams and match-ups, and we’re excited to host household names, as they go up against crowd favourites, the Renegades.
The Renegades are a Detroit-based team that features Australian and Kiwi-born players. They’ve received plenty of local support, especially after their impressive performance at IEM Sydney last year. They’ll be out for revenge after they fell just short of top four placement in 2018.
More teams
Made in Brazil and FaZe Clan will also be in Sydney. FaZe Clan, the European powerhouse, will be back to defend their IEM Sydney 2018 trophy. They are arguably the most successful of the invited teams, with $3,000,000 USD in prize winnings. Local Aussie teams will be announced at a later date.
Alongside the official IEM Sydney CS:GO competition is “The Caches.” This Australia vs. England rivalry should not be missed.
IEM Sydney 2019
With this line up of international talent, IEM Sydney promises to be an incredible event. Who will win? Will it be the down under newbies, Team Liquid? Or the crowd favorite Renegades? Maybe another Australian team will take the top? There’s only one way to find out.
Qudos Bank Arena will come alive May 3-5 for IEM Sydney. Tickets are currently on sale. But you’ll have to get in quick! Weekend premium tickets are already sold out. Daily tickets start at $45 AUD with the VIP Global Elite tickets setting you back $1,299 AUD. Fans will be able to add on an Early Entrance option. This will give you access to the venue 30 minutes prior to the official opening, giving you plenty of time to meet your heroes. Head over to Ticketek to grab your tickets. If you can’t get to Sydney for the event, watch all the action live on Twitch. Tune into us and we’ll keep you updated with interviews from IEM Sydney. Check out the IEM Sydney Facebook event for announcements, competitions, and more.
Published: Mar 11, 2019 06:59 pm