ESL has officially confirmed that the Intel Extreme Masters circuit will return to Brazil in 2027, bringing another premier Counter-Strike event to one of the game’s most passionate regions. The tournament will take place from May 3-9, 2027. However, the organizer has not yet revealed the host city.
Brazil remains a key destination for ESL
ESL announced the event through its official social media channels and later published additional tournament details. The competition will once again follow the traditional IEM format. Sixteen teams will compete for a $1,000,000 prize pool.
First, teams will play a LAN group stage with two double-elimination groups of eight. Then, the top four teams from each group will advance to the playoffs. Finally, the eight remaining teams will battle in front of a live arena audience to determine the champion.
Brazil last hosted an IEM event in Rio de Janeiro in 2026. As a result, the 2027 edition marks another major stop for the ESL Pro Tour in South America.
Invite distribution confirmed
ESL also revealed how teams will qualify for the tournament. Most invitations will come through Valve’s Regional Standings (VRS):
- 11 teams — Global VRS invites;
- 1 team — North America VRS;
- 1 team — South America VRS;
- 2 teams — Global Closed Qualifier;
- 1 team — Americas Closed Qualifier.
The organizer will use the first available February 2027 VRS rankings to issue invitations. Meanwhile, the first April 2027 VRS rankings will determine tournament seeding. In addition, the event will become part of the 2027 ESL Pro Tour, which features more than $11.45 million in total prize money and club rewards across the season.
ESL’s 2027 calendar continues to grow
Following the announcement of IEM Brazil, ESL has now confirmed four major destinations for the 2027 Counter-Strike season:
- IEM Krakow — January 27 – February 7
- ESL Pro League Season 25 (Saudi Arabia) — March 6–14
- IEM USA — April 5–11
- IEM Brazil — May 3–9
Meanwhile, ESL still plans to announce three additional events scheduled for August, September–October, and late October–November. The organizer promised to reveal more information in the coming months. Those updates will include the host city for IEM Brazil and the remaining tournament locations for the 2027 season.
