The full team list for IEM Atlanta 2026 has officially been locked in. The final slot at the $1,000,000 event went to Passion UA, who secured qualification through the North American closed qualifier, completing the 16-team lineup set to compete in Georgia this May.
Passion UA close out NA qualifier
Passion UA emerged as the last confirmed participant after a strong lower-bracket run in the North American qualifier. The squad navigated past multiple opponents and sealed qualification with back-to-back victories over Wildcard in both the upper-bracket final and the grand final, eliminating any doubt about their place in Atlanta. For the Ukrainian organization, this marks another high-profile LAN appearance in 2026 and an opportunity to test themselves against tier-one opposition on North American soil.
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BetBoom and BET-M advance through global qualifier
Earlier, two Russian squads secured their places via the global qualifier. BetBoom Team and BET-M clinched qualification after defeating SINNERS and fnatic respectively in the semi-finals. While SINNERS fought back through the lower bracket, their run ended in the consolidation final, where BET-M completed one of the most notable breakout performances of the qualifier stage. For BET-M, Atlanta represents a major opportunity to prove their legitimacy on a big international stage.
A mixed-strength IEM — but elite names remain
Running in parallel with PGL Astana, IEM Atlanta is viewed as one of the lighter IEM stops on the 2026 calendar in terms of overall ranking depth. Several top-10 teams opted to skip the event. However, the tournament still features elite contenders, including:
- Team Vitality
- FaZe Clan
- Natus Vincere
- Team Liquid
- Astralis
- GamerLegion
- NRG
- Legacy
- B8
- FUT Esports
- paiN Gaming
- M80
- BC.Game Esports
- BetBoom Team
- BET-M
- Passion UA
Despite some absences from the global top tier, the mix of established contenders and ambitious challengers creates an unpredictable competitive field — especially with several teams fighting for crucial ranking points and mid-season momentum.
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Event details
IEM Atlanta 2026 will take place from May 11–17 at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta. The tournament will feature a $1,000,000 prize pool and serves as a key North American stop in the 2026 ESL circuit.
With the team list finalized, attention now shifts to seeding, group draws, and potential early heavyweight clashes. While some view this edition as less stacked than other IEM stops, the presence of Vitality, FaZe, and NAVI ensures that Atlanta will still deliver high-level Counter-Strike — and possibly a few surprises along the way.
