The Spodek Arena’s electrifying atmosphere will be echoed in the United States as ESL announces the final five directly invited clubs for the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Dallas, scheduled from May 27th to June 2nd.
Among the elite invitees is Team Spirit, the reigning champion of the IEM Katowice, ensuring a thrilling showdown in Dallas alongside other top-tier organizations and local contenders.
Invited Clubs and Notable Presence
The latest additions to the IEM Dallas lineup include Spirit, M80, Monte Esports, G2 Esports, and Team Falcons. Notably, Falcons’ participation will see three reigning champions from the competition defend their status.
Despite ENCE’s absence, Marco “Snappi” Pfeiffer, Pavle “maden” Bošković, and Álvaro “SunPayus” García have the chance to replicate their 2023 success. For Spanish AWPer SunPayus, Texas holds fond memories as he clinched the MVP title last year.
Performance Impact and Notable Absence
Team Spirit’s invitation is undoubtedly influenced by their stellar performance at the IEM Katowice. Conversely, Cloud9’s absence comes as a surprise after their early exit in the group stage, particularly against Monte, who was later eliminated by G2 Esports. However, the samurais managed to reach the playoffs at the Spodek Arena.
Regional Representation and Open Slots
Despite being hosted in the United States, IEM Dallas currently features only three North American clubs: M80, Complexity, and FaZe Clan (though the latter’s roster is entirely European). North America has one additional slot available through open qualifiers, while Europe continues to dominate the Counter-Strike scene.
#IEM Dallas 2024 is shaping up! Welcome to 5 more teams, invited to the 100th IEM Celebrations!@M80gg@Team__Spirit@TeamFalconsGG@G2esports@Monte_Esports
Qualifiers have also began, who do you think will join them? pic.twitter.com/NDmhf5eTJE
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) February 14, 2024
Finalizing the Lineup
With the recent additions, IEM Dallas awaits the final five participants through open qualifiers, with two slots allocated to Europe, one to South America, and one to Oceania. In addition to the latest entrants, teams like Team Vitality, FaZe Clan, MOUZ, Natus Vincere, and BIG are set to compete on American soil in May.
Breaking Records: IEM Katowice 2024 Surpasses Previous Edition’s Audience