ESL Rio Major qualifiers to be played on latest CS:GO update

The direct qualification system for the biggest event of the CS:GO calendar will use the latest update, ESL announced earlier today. 

All of the teams that are participating will be going head to head using different strategies considering the extent of the changes made in yesterday’s update. The update granted the Terrorist side an advantage on both Mirage and Dust II while only somewhat compensating the Counter-Terrorist side. 

The most notable change on Mirage was made in the middle of the map where there’s a larger entrance for the Terrorists to swing and peek at the window position. If Terrorists want to execute through the window, they can simply use the new bench that’s been placed next to connector to jump spot short or strafe jump into sniper’s nest. Several professional players and coaches have criticized the decision, with Evil Geniuses’ coach Chet “ImAPet” Singh calling for its removal. 

But on Dust II, the skybox has been opened up on the B site. This means that Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists can throw grenades over the ceiling in B tunnels. Terrorists can potentially throw plenty of flashes and smokes to take complete control of the B site with ease. 

The qualifiers, which start tomorrow, will feature some of the biggest teams in CS:GO that didn’t earn direct qualification to the Minors or Major. The newly-formed Dignitas squad, for example, will have to use the open qualifiers to earn a spot in the closed qualifiers and then the European Minor.