Continuing the American leg of the Counter-Strike calendar, after Vitality’s stunning play at IEM Rio and BLAST Rivals Fort Worth, IEM Atlanta 2026 kicks off on May 11, 2026. While the majority of the top ten is heading to PGL Astana 2026, the Grand Finals duo of Vitality and NAVI will be battling for the Atlanta trophy, and the first title in the ESL Grand Slam Season 7.
Related—BLAST Rivals Fort Worth 2026: Teams, Schedule, Prize Pool and more
IEM Atlanta 2026 Teams
Vitality and NAVI are not alone at Atlanta from the top 10, with both FUT and Astralis joining them at the event. FUT, who were hobbled with coach András “coolio” Fercsák at Fort Worth, will hope to make a deep run to warm up properly ahead of their first Major as a squad. Also at the event will be FaZe, hoping to continue their strong form with stand-in Ryan “Neityu” Aubry. The teams list is rounded out by BC.Game, now featuring Azbayar “Senzu” Munkhbold, alongside Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev.
- Vitality
- NAVI
- Astralis
- FUT
- FaZe
- GamerLegion
- B8
- Legacy
- M80
- BetBoom
- Liquid
- NRG
- SINNERS
- paiN
- Passion UA
- BC.Game
IEM Atlanta 2026 Prize Pool
The event will feature a $1 million prize pool, with the split between players’ share and club share weighted towards the latter.
| Placement | Prize Money (+ Club Share) |
|---|---|
| 1st | $125,000 (+$170,000) |
| 2nd | $50,000 (+$120,000) |
| 3rd | $30,000 (+$95,000) |
| 4th | $20,000 (+$75,000) |
| 5-6th | $12,500 (+$55,000) |
| 7-8th | $7,000 (+$35,000) |
| 9-12th | $5,000 (+$15,000) |
| 13-16th | $4,000 |
IEM Atlanta 2026 format explained
The event follows ESL’s standard event format, featuring two GSL groups and a six-team single elimination event format. 8 teams enter each group, battling for the top three slots to earn their playoffs berths, with the top seed also receiving a bye straight to the semifinals. Each series in the groups and playoffs will be a best-of-three with the exception of the best-of-five grand finals.
IEM Atlanta 2026 Match Schedule and Results
Monday, May 11, 2026
- B8 vs. BetBoom (17:30 CEST)
- paiN vs. FaZe (17:30 CEST)
- Vitality vs. BC.Game (20:00 CEST)
- NRG vs. FUT (20:00 CEST)
- NAVI vs. Passion UA (22:30 CEST)
- SINNERS vs. GamerLegion (22:00 CEST)
- Legacy vs. M80 (01:00 CEST)
- Liquid vs. Astralis (01:00 CEST)
The schedule and results will be updated as the tournament progresses.
Where to watch IEM Rio 2026
You can watch all the matches live on ESL’s official Twitch and YouTube channels:
