The first matchups of IEM Rio Major Legends Stage are set after the conclusion of Challengers Stage today. And viewers will get to watch four giants go against each other in the first round of the second stage of the event.
Due to Cloud9 and Vitality advancing to Legends Stage with a 2-3 record, they received lower seeds coming to Legends Stage. The Russian powerhouse of C9 will play FaZe Clan in the first round, while Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut will test his forces against Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev’s Natus Vincere.
The other matchups consist of Ninjas in Pyjamas vs. Fnatic, ENCE vs. FURIA, Sprout vs. BIG, Heroic vs. Outsiders, Team Spirit vs. Bad News Eagles, and Team Liquid vs. MOUZ. FURIA is the only Brazilian team alive, so they’ll head to Legends Stage as fan favorites.
The Legends Stage of IEM Rio Major will be played in Riocentro venue, the same arena used for Challengers Stage, and will follow the exact format: a Swiss system stage in which teams need to win three to advance to playoffs and lose three to be eliminated from the $1.25 million tournament.
The teams have to play best-of-one for ordinary matches and best-of-three for either advancement or elimination games. Here’s when each match will be played.
Saturday, Nov. 5
IEM Rio Major Legends Stage round one
- 9am: MOUZ vs. Liquid
- 9am: Bad News Eagles vs. Spirit
- 10:15am: FaZe vs. C9
- 10:15am: Sprout vs. BIG
- 11:30am: NAVI vs. Vitality
- 11:30am: Heroic vs. Outsiders
- 12:45pm: FURIA vs. ENCE
- 12:45pm: Fnatic vs. NiP
