How to watch IEM New York Europe and North America

IEM New York 2020 will start tomorrow in both Europe and North America.

The traditional CS:GO event will be played online due to the coronavirus pandemic, despite ESL’s best wishes to host tournaments on LAN again. IEM New York has been split into three regions: Europe, North America, and CIS. In North America and CIS, the tournament will also serve as a Regional Ranking Major (RMR) event.

Eight CS:GO teams will be playing in it from Europe, while the North American event will have 12 squads. IEM New York will feature some of the best teams in the world, such as Evil Geniuses, Heroic, Vitality, FURIA, BIG, Team Liquid, and G2. There are also teams that have the potential to upset the previously mentioned squads, like Fnatic, OG, and 100 Thieves.

Here’s everything you need to know about IEM New York Europe and North America.

Stream

IEM New York 2020 will be broadcast on ESL’s three Twitch channels since there will be two or three matches live at the same time, depending on the day. If your favorite team isn’t playing on the main broadcast, you can follow them on the second or third channels.

Format

ESL has split the European teams into two double-elimination groups of four. All of the matches will be best-of-three series and the top two teams from each group will advance to the playoffs.

In North America, the format is quite different. The teams have been split into two round-robin best-of-three groups of six. All the North American teams will play against each other once and the top three teams from each group will advance to the playoffs.

The playoffs will use a single-elimination best-of-three bracket for Europe and North America. Only the grand finals will be played as a best-of-five series and the team from the upper bracket will start with a one map advantage. ESL will distribute $140,000 of the prize pool to Europe and $60,000 to North America.

Teams

Europe – Group A

Vitality

• ZywOo
• shox
• RpK
• apEX
• misutaaa
• Coach: XTQZZZ

G2

• nexa
• huNter-
• kennyS
• AmaNEk
• JaCkz
• Coach: maLek

Fnatic

• KRIMZ
• flusha
• JW
• Golden
• Brollan
• Coach: Samuelsson

Complexity

• blameF
• poizon
• k0nfig
• RUSH
• TBD
• Coach: keita

Europe – Group B

Heroic

• cadiaN
• niko
• stavn
• b0RUP
• TeSeS

BIG

• tabseN
• XANTARES
• syrsoN
• k1to
• tiziaN
• Coach: tow b

OG

• valde
• Aleksib
• NBK-
• ISSAA
• mantuu

FaZe

• NiKo
• coldzera
• rain
• broky
• Kjaerbye
• Coach: YNk

North America – Group A

Evil Geniuses

• Brehze
• Ethan
• CeRq
• tarik
• stanislaw
• Coach: zews

FURIA

• arT
• KSCERATO
• yuurih
• HEN1
• VINI

Triumph

• Shakezullah
• junior
• moose
• penny
• curry
• Coach: tacitus

New England Whalers

• PwnAlone
• ben1337
• djay
• BOOBIE
• Rampage
• Coach: Muenster

Rebirth

• XotiC
• phantom
• retchy
• 4pack
• nosraC
• Coach: ERIC

ImPerium

• Burt^
• Wilky
• CarterJ
• EllisoN
• heretic-
• Coach: BirdehBox

North America – Group B

Liquid

• EliGE
• NAF
• Twistzz
• Grim
• Stewie2K
• Coach: moses

100 Thieves

• jks
• jkaem
• AZR
• Gratisfaction
• Liazz
• Coach: ImaPet

Chaos

• Xeppaa
• steel
• leaf
• vanity
• Jonji
• Coach: mCe

Team oNe

• Maluk3
• b4rtiN
• prt
• pesadelo
• malbsMd
• Coach: cky

Mythic

• fl0m
• adreN
• DAVEY
• Polen
• Keiti
• Coach: zNf

RBG

• gmanchew
• pwny
• Walco
• wiz
• HexT
• Coach: KayJay

Schedule

Tuesday, Oct. 6

• 7am CT: Vitality vs. Fnatic
• 7am CT: G2 vs. Complexity
• 10:30am CT: Heroic vs. FaZe
• 10:30am CT: BIG vs. OG
• 2pm CT: Evil Geniuses vs. Triumph
• 5pm CT: FURIA vs. Rebirth
• 5pm CT: 100 Thieves vs. RBG

Wednesday, Oct. 7

• 2pm CT: Liquid vs. Team oNe
• 2pm CT: Chaos vs. Mythic
• 5:30pm CT: FURIA vs. Triumph

Thursday, Oct. 8

• 2pm CT: Liquid vs. Mythic
• 2pm CT: Evil Geniuses vs. New England Whalers
• 5:30pm CT: 100 Thieves vs. Chaos

Friday, Oct. 9

• 2pm CT: Evil Geniuses vs. FURIA
• 5:30pm CT: Liquid vs. Chaos

Saturday, Oct. 10

• 2pm CT: 100 Thieves vs. Team oNe
• 5:30pm CT: Evil Geniuses vs. Rebirth
• 5:30pm CT: FURIA vs. ImPerium

Sunday, Oct. 11

• 2pm CT: Liquid vs. 100 Thieves
• 2pm CT: Chaos vs. RBG

Tuesday, Oct. 13

• 2pm CT: FURIA vs. New England Whalers
• 2pm CT: Evil Geniuses vs. ImPerium
• 5:30pm CT: Chaos vs. Team oNe
• 5:30pm CT: 100 Thieves vs. Mythic
• 5:30pm CT: Liquid vs. RBG

Key storylines

One of the best teams in 2020, G2, may play its last tournament with its current lineup. The organization is reportedly in talks with FaZe to sign NiKo. There haven’t been any updates on this potential move since the initial reports on Sept. 18, but if it happens, G2 will likely have three non-French players. This could also lead FaZe to completely overhaul its team since they’ve had poor results following Kjaerbye’s arrival in August.

Heroic were one of the best teams in ESL Pro League season 12 Europe and were narrowly eliminated by Astralis in the lower bracket finals. CadiaN and crew have been playing well since the player break and won their first big tournament at ESL One Cologne Europe. But coach Nicolai “HUNDEN” Petersen was caught abusing the coach spectating bug in matches earlier this year and has been banned from coaching for eight months. Heroic, however, has transitioned HUNDEN to an analyst role following ESIC’s statement. Fans will have their eyes on this to see how it’ll affect the team.

Vitality have been one of the most consistent CS:GO teams throughout 2020. The French squad hasn’t lifted a single trophy this year, however, despite going to three grand finals so far and ZywOo’s optimal individual form. ApEX seems to be learning the in-game leader role, so Vitality may need just a bit more time to win a trophy in 2020.

Although BIG remains a good team, the Germans still aren’t in the same form they showed in the first part of the CS:GO season. BIG were eliminated in the early stages of ESL One Cologne Europe in August and surprisingly fell short to mousesports in ESL Pro League season 12 Europe. One of their main stars, XANTARES, has just renewed his contract, so he clearly has faith that BIG will still be a solid team in the future. The German will look to show that tactical brilliance again and try to win IEM New York.

Moving on to North America, FURIA seem to have become the best team in the region. The Brazilians steamrolled Evil Geniuses in the upper bracket finals at ESL Pro League season 12 North America and easily dealt with 100 Thieves, even bringing out an innovative boost on Vertigo. But aside from FURIA, we can’t ignore teams like EG that may have just had an off-tournament or Liquid, who perhaps has the best lineup in terms of firepower and mechanics but are struggling under Stewie2K’s guidance.

IEM New York kicks off on Oct. 6.