Grand Slam continues with EG and Astralis at IEM Beijing

The competitive Counter-Strike: Global Offensive circuit makes its anticipated return to China this week with Intel Extreme Masters Beijing, presenting another crucial opportunity for elite CS:GO squads to assert their dominance in the professional landscape.

IEM Beijing showcases a strategically diverse collection of competing organizations. The European contingent features four prominent teams: Astralis, ENCE, FaZe Clan, and Team Vitality. Completing the tournament roster are the newly-formed North American 100 Thieves organization, which acquired the complete Renegades lineup, alongside two Chinese representatives in ViCi Gaming and TYLOO.

ENCE received a late invitation to replace Team Liquid, who announced in late October they would withdraw from the Chinese event citing extensive travel demands and congested competitive schedule following multiple prior engagements.

IEM Beijing is fourth tournament of the Intel Grand Slam Season 3

This Beijing championship represents the fourth qualifying event in Intel Grand Slam Season 3. The prestigious Intel Grand Slam constitutes a tournament series backed by Intel that offers a $1 million bonus to any team achieving specific competitive milestones. To secure the Grand Slam title, an organization must capture victories in six out of ten designated tournaments, or alternatively win four tournaments plus either IEM Katowice, ESL One Cologne, or one of Valve’s two annual Major championships.

Intel has currently revealed seven tournaments eligible for Grand Slam qualification.

• IEM Chicago (won by Team Liquid)
• ESL One New York (Won by Evil Geniuses)
• DreamHack Masters Malmo (won by Fnatic)
• IEM Beijing
• ESL Pro League Season 10 Finals
• IEM XIV World Championship 2020
• ESL One Cologne 2020

Astralis and EG are the favorites in Beijing

Astralis and Evil Geniuses emerge as statistical frontrunners according to betting odds, though several other squads possess sufficient skill to potentially upset the established favorites and claim victory in Beijing.

Astralis currently occupies a fascinating competitive position despite many analysts still regarding them as the world’s premier team. Following their dominant 2018 campaign, the 2019 iteration of Astralis has demonstrated different competitive characteristics. While the Danish powerhouse secured the StarLadder Berlin Major championship in late August, they haven’t captured a tournament title since that achievement.

While Astralis encounters temporary competitive obstacles, Evil Geniuses demonstrates upward trajectory momentum. EG claimed first-place finishes at ESL One New York and StarSeries & i-League Season 8 in recent months after breaking into HLTV’s top three rankings by placing third at the StarLadder Berlin Major. Evil Geniuses positions itself ideally to seize the Beijing championship, particularly given Astralis’ recent performance patterns and the overall caliber of remaining competition.

FaZe and 100 Thieves could steal IEM Grand Slam Tournament

Multiple other teams possess potential for unexpected deep tournament runs in Beijing. FaZe Clan arrives fresh from their championship victory at BLAST Pro Series Copenhagen. FaZe appeared virtually unstoppable during their 3-0 group stage sweep before conceding their final match against Team Liquid.

Despite the defeat against TL, FaZe displayed renewed energy following the integration of Helvijs “broky” Saukants. The emerging talent represents FaZe’s most significant competitive advantage in Beijing. Since FaZe’s impressive BLAST performance occurred with broky actively competing, his inclusion might provide the crucial catalyst this collection of individual stars requires to finally fulfill their collective potential.

The competitive community understands precisely what to anticipate from 100 Thieves. In early November, 100 Thieves executed a complete acquisition of the Renegades competitive roster. With their reemergence into CS:GO’s professional sphere, 100 Thieves will aggressively pursue an inaugural victory celebration.

Renegades achieved third place at the Berlin Major, clearly demonstrating their capability for championship-level performance. Their strategic coach, Aleksandar “kassad” Trifunović, constitutes another substantial organizational asset. The critical question revolves around whether performers like Justin “jks” Savage and Sean “Gratisfaction” Kaiwai can deliver performances matching the elite player status they’re frequently assigned. Should they achieve this level, spectators cannot dismiss 100 Thieves’ championship aspirations.

Vitality trending down after hot 2019 start

Team Vitality emerged as the next prominent contender following the Berlin Major, but they’ve virtually vanished from competitive relevance since that period. Following disappointing StarSeries & i-League Season 8 results and lackluster ECS season performances, Vitality increasingly resembles another French squad that initiates strong before rapidly declining.

While they secured second place at DreamHack Masters Malmo after incorporating Richard “shox” Papillon, their defeat against FURIA at StarSeries represents both a poor individual match outcome and concerning future indicator.

If Vitality can establish competitive stability they’ll maintain opportunity for top-three placement. They simply haven’t demonstrated any evidence suggesting they can overcome the other premier teams participating.

ENCE, ViCi and TYLOO are the IEM Beijing longshots

The remaining tournament participants include ENCE, Vici Gaming, and TYLOO. ENCE can defeat any opponent during peak performance periods, though those optimal competitive days occur less frequently. When ENCE parted ways with their in-game leader Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen in early September, they sacrificed the intelligent strategic approaches and aggressive playstyle that defined their competitive identity.

ViCi and TYLOO dominate Asia’s CS:GO competitive landscape, but extensive tournament history indicates they struggle against international opposition. Even competing domestically, both ViCi and TYLOO likely won’t deliver impressive results, though Asian teams in global competition always maintain upset potential. Sophisticated tactical execution represents a persistent weakness throughout Asia’s CS:GO competitive ecosystem. However, occasionally their distinctive metagame approach can surprise and defeat superior opponents.

IEM Beijing Format and Groups

IEM Beijing implements the GSL group stage competitive structure. This format divides the eight participating teams into two four-team groups before commencing double-elimination bracket play. Every match follows best-of-three format, with the two highest-performing teams from each group advancing to playoff stage.

Playoffs utilize single-elimination best-of-three matches.The IEM Beijing championship final will be decided through best-of-five series.

Group A

• 100 Thieves
• Astralis
• ENCE
• ViCi Gaming

Group B

• Evil Geniuses
• FaZe Clan
• Team Vitality
• TYLOO

IEM Beijing Schedule

North American viewers will encounter challenging late-night scheduling for all tournament matches. European and Asian spectators will experience more convenient viewing times, though North American enthusiasts might need to avoid spoilers if they prefer experiencing matches through VOD replays. The initial Beijing match pairings have already been determined.

Wednesday, November 6

Astralis vs ViCi Gaming 11:00 pm EDT

100 Thieves vs ENCE 11:00 pm EDT

Thursday, November 8

Team Vitality vs TYLOO 2:50 am EDT

FaZe Clan vs Evil Geniuses 2:50 am EDT

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