Intel Extreme Masters Winter 2021 starts with a LAN tournament featuring 16 top teams.
Several teams from the IEM Fall closed qualifier earned their spot for this event while others won an open qualifier. The rest were invited due to being ESL partnered teams and others for different reasons. The tournament will begin with a double elimination format. Opening matches will be Bo1 with all others being played as Bo3. The top three in each group will make their way to the playoff round. The playoffs will be a 6 team single elimination with the quarter and semi finals being Bo3. The finals will be Bo5.
The event is set to take place between the 2nd to 12th of December. It features three regional divisions for Europe, North America and CIS. A prize pool of $250,000 has been allotted to the event as well as being the last chance to earn EPT points for IEM Katowice 2022. This year will not feature any RMR points for participating teams.
With representation from all around the world, many of these teams have teased new lineups after their Major disappointments. With some of these lineups confirmed, it will be exciting to see how many of these new teams come to fruition in time for this tournament.
The big post-Major news that Dupreeh, Magisk and zonic would be leaving the team was a shock to many. The question of who could possibly replace them was one that loomed over the organization. However, the two players they have brought in for replacement have already made a splash in the scene. BlameF and K0nfig made their debut with Astralis against the Dev1ce led NIP. The newcomers had a massive impact with each of them dropping over 30 kills on the second map which ended with a 2-0 Bo3 win over NIP. With Na’Vi not attending this event, Astralis may be a dark horse pick to win the event.
After a rocky start at the Major, Heroic stayed true to their form and went all the way to the semi finals. With a strong showing against the top tier competition that will be attending this event as well, expect them to be a favourite.
The Major saw G2 lose in the finals against the unstoppable Na’Vi. NiKo was a massive factor in their success. After the loss, there have been rumours surrounding roster changes. If the rumours come to fruition before IEM Winter, we could see a G2 hungry for vengeance at this tournament.
Vitality
The big question surrounding Vitality is their roster situation. Will they show up with Dupreeh and Magisk? Or will Kyojin and Shox end up continuing to play? If Magisk and Dupreeh end up playing, it would mean very little practice time and communication will still be rocky, but we will see if this is something that they can overcome.
After fnatic changed their lineup making it predominantly British, they have performed well and look promising. With the old, accomplished veteran Krimzz and young hungry players like Brollan and Smooya, this could be the resurgence fnatic needed to bring the brand back to their former glory.
This tournament should be a good setup for the rest of the tournament year. New rivalries, new exciting rising stars and many other storylines should set the scene until the next major.
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