IEM Beijing 2026: Teams, Schedule, Format, and More

IEM Beijing 2026 is scheduled to run from November 2-8, featuring a series of matchups across two stages. With a $1.25 million prize pool on the line, the 16 participating CS2 teams will compete at the Bloomage Biotech Biohyalux ECM Arena in Beijing, China, to stake their claim to the trophy.

Here's everything you need to know about the tournament, including its schedule, format, predictions, and more.

Teams & Bracket

IEM Beijing 2026 will feature 16 teams. Of these, 13 earned qualification through the VRS rankings: 10 from VRS Global and 1 each from VRS South America, North America, and Asia.

Of the remaining three, 2 advanced through the Global Qualifiers, while 1 earned a spot through the Asia Qualifiers.

Below are all the teams and their Group Stage allocations: 

Here’s a look at the double-elimination Group Stage bracket:

Format

Group Stage

• Two double-elimination groups

• Eight teams in each group

• All matches are Bo3

• Top 3 teams from each group qualify for playoffs

Playoffs

• Single-elimination bracket

• All initial matches are Bo3

• Grand Final is Bo5

IEM Beijing 2026 Schedule

Opening Matchups - Monday, November 2nd 

Remaining Matches

For individual matchups, results, and updated brackets, check out the IEM Beijing 2026 tournament page on Strafe.

What to Expect from IEM Beijing 2026

IEM Beijing 2026 will feature a mix of top contenders and mid‑tier teams. With the VRS rankings for the Singapore Major locked in, teams won't have the incentive of gaining last‑minute VRS points at IEM Beijing.

However, the tournament can still serve as valuable practice for Major‑qualifying organizations before they immerse themselves in the biggest event of the year.

Among the 16 contenders, MOUZ, Falcons, BetBoom, and FURIA stand out as favorites to lift the trophy.

MOUZ has been super impressive over the last three months, winning BLAST Bounty Summer and finishing as runners‑up at BLAST Open Fall and ESL Pro League Season 24.

Falcons hasn't come close to replicating their IEM Cologne Major success since then, but they remain a top contender in every tournament.

BetBoom made a highly promising run at PGL Masters Bucharest, similar to their IEM Cologne Major campaign. They will look to replicate that success and make an even deeper run in Beijing.

FURIA is the highest‑ranked team at IEM Beijing. They are coming off a tournament win and are currently in the PGL Masters Bucharest playoffs.

Teams like Aurora and NAVI could also secure a playoff berth. Aurora is in great shape, securing top‑3 finishes in their last three tournaments. NAVI, on the other hand, has seen several recent ups and downs, adding a cloud of uncertainty over their performance. Still, the roster shows promise and shouldn't be written off.

With Vitality and Spirit skipping the event, it will be interesting to see which of these teams makes a claim for the IEM Beijing 2026 trophy.

Where to Watch IEM Beijing 2026

IEM Beijing 2026 will stream live on ESL's official channels across multiple platforms, with two streams running simultaneously. Below are the official English stream links: 

Stream A: Twitch, YouTube, Kick

Stream B: Twitch, YouTube, Kick

You can also follow CS2 IEM Beijing 2026 live on Strafe.

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Featured image Credit: ESL Counter-Strike

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