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The CSGO players are heading to Brazil for the IEM Rio Major 2022! Find out which teams had the best shot at winning prior to the tournament starting.
The IEM Rio Major 2022 started on the 31st of October 2022 and is running until the 13th of November 2022. 24 world-class CSGO teams are competing for their share of the mouth-watering $1.25 million prize pool, though we are now down to the final eight. This is one of the most elite upcoming CSGO tournaments of the year and a must-watch for serious CSGO fans. With so much talent and all teams bringing their A squads, check out the teams which had the best shot at winning, ahead of the tournament, below!
1. FaZe Clan
FaZe Clan were recently the number 1 CSGO team on the planet. The American organisation have had an incredible 2022, winning big tournament after big tournament. In 2022 they won the Intel Extreme Masters XVI – Katowice for $400,000, the ESL Pro League Season 15 for $190,000, the PGL Major Antwerp 2022 for $500,000, and the Intel Extreme Masters XVII – Cologne for $400,000.
FaZe Clan have lifetime CSGO tournament earnings of over $5 million and look to finally have found the perfect squad. Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken has been a great pick for FaZe Clan and has elevated the squad to the next level. They were strong favourites to win the IEM Rio Major 2022; however, their poor performance at the ESL Pro League Season 16 shows they are beatable! Sadly for them, they exited the IEM Rio Major tournament and failed to progress to the playoffs.
2. Natus Vincere
Natus Vincere were recently the number 2 CSGO team in the world just behind FaZe Clan. The longtime Ukrainian team have over $9 million in CSGO earnings and entered the CSGO tournament scene in 2009.
Natus Vincere have had a strong 2022 but, unfortunately, have repeatedly lost to FaZe Clan in the final of big tournaments. They came second at PGL Major Antwerp 2022 and the Intel Extreme Masters XVII – Cologne but did manage to win the BLAST Premier: Spring Finals 2022 for $200,000.
Natus Vincere also had a disappointing showing at the ESL Pro League Season 16, but we expect them to be focused and ready to go in Rio. It is only a matter of time before the Ukrainian side gets revenge on FaZe Clan. Keep an eye on Natus Vincere’s rifler, Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev. If he is playing well, then Natus Vincere should make a deep run!
3. Cloud9
Cloud9 are another top CSGO team with lots of big match experience that has a strong chance of winning the IEM Rio Major 2022. The Russian team is the latest for Cloud9, an NA org who have been around since 2013 and have over $2 million in lifetime CSGO tournament earnings.
Cloud9 have had an up-and-down year in 2022. They have shown glimpses of being a world-class squad, especially when they won the Intel Extreme Masters XVII – Dallas for $100,000 but have struggled in other big events.
Cloud9 seem to have FaZe Clan’s number and have beaten them in their last few matches. If FaZe Clan can’t make the right changes, then Cloud9 could very well steamroll them and boot them from the IEM Rio Major 2022 (update – that’s exactly what happened, with Cloud9 reaching the playoffs). However, the Russian team has struggled with other teams in the tournament, such as Team Liquid. It will be interesting to see if Cloud9 can be consistent!
4. Team Vitality
Team Vitality appeared to be peaking at the perfect time ahead of the IEM Rio Major 2022 after winning the ESL Pro League Season 16 in October for a nice $200,000 payday. The French amd Danish team have plenty of big-match experience and have won almost $3 million from CSGO tournaments in just four years.
We couldn’t wait to see Team Vitality and their player Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut take on the likes of Navi and FaZe Clan. But the French and Danish team couldn’t repeat their performance at the ESL Pro League Season 16, where they beat the likes of G2 Esports and Team Liquid, and they have been knocked out of the IEM Rio Major 2022.
Final Thoughts
FaZe Clan were the clear favourite to win the IEM Rio Major 2022, but it’s been a major surprise for them to get knocked out, and the door is open for another team to win.
With the likes of Natus Vincere, Cloud9 and Mouz reaching the playoffs, and let’s not forget the likes of Fnatic’s CSGO team at the IEM Rio Major (pictured above), it’s anyone’s game.
Tune into the IEM Rio Major 2022 to see who will lift the trophy.
