GamerLegion secure IEM Rio Major spot over B8

Less than two months after putting together their new roster, GamerLegion made it to the most prestigious tournament on the calendar.

GamerLegion have clinched a spot in the IEM Rio Major Challengers Stage after going 3-2 in the European Regional Major Ranking A tournament.

It had been a laborious road for Kamil "⁠siuhy⁠" Szkaradek's team, whose inexperience had shown in key moments in Malta as they couldn't convert big leads in their matches against FaZe and Spirit earlier in the tournament. However, in the final two rounds GamerLegion put their fears away, eliminating G2 from contention for the Major in the biggest upset of the RMRs and securing a spot in Rio for themselves with a 2-0 victory over B8.

GamerLegion's roster wasn't even official when they qualified for the RMRs in late August, and now they've made it all the way to Rio

Both teams took a gamble in the veto after deciding not to ban their usual maps and instead take away their opponent's strengths, and in an attempt to take advantage of the situation GamerLegion made the ballsy move to pick Overpass — a map neither team had played in an official match recorded on HLTV before.

For a while it looked as if that decision would backfire on the siuhy-led side. B8 took control of the series opener after winning the initial forcebuy wars and put together a solid CT side on the back of the early success, and coupled with an Alexey "⁠alex666⁠" Yarmoshchuk 1v2 in the second pistol round the Ukrainians were on course to picking up the series lead.

However, key multikills from Frederik "⁠acoR⁠" Gyldstrand, Mihai "⁠iM⁠" Ivan, and Isak "⁠isak⁠" Fahlén paved the way back for GamerLegion, and at 12-12 siuhy pitched in with a defuse inside a smoke in a 1v2 situation to prevent B8 from taking back control and rally to a 16-12 victory on the risky pick.

Nuke turned out quite a comfortable affair for the European team. B8 struck first in both halves with pistol round wins, but beyond that the map was firmly in the hands of GamerLegion, who had everyone firing on all cylinders to secure the 2-0 victory and a spot in Rio.

IEM Road to Rio 2022 Europe RMR ABest of 3

GamerLegion

Matchpage

2

0

8th October 2022

B8

16

Overpass

12

16

Nuke

10

GamerLegion	K - D	+/-	ADR	Rating 2.0
Isak 'isak' Fahlénisak	48 - 33	+15	84.7	1.30
Mihai 'iM' IvaniM	42 - 33	+9	83.1	1.23
Kamil 'siuhy' Szkaradeksiuhy	35 - 29	+6	69.2	1.10
Nicolas 'Keoz' DgusKeoz	33 - 37	-4	75.8	1.03
Frederik 'acoR' GyldstrandacoR	31 - 29	+2	61.6	0.93

B8	K - D	+/-	ADR	Rating 2.0
Arseniy 'cptkurtka023' Derevinskiycptkurtka023	37 - 40	-3	72.9	0.99
Nikita 'Hkta' RevaHkta	34 - 37	-3	76.2	0.97
Alexey 'alex666' Yarmoshchukalex666	30 - 35	-5	62.6	0.90
Artem 'r1nkle' Morozr1nkle	34 - 37	-3	64.0	0.89
Denis 'amster' Liashenkoamster	25 - 40	-15	62.9	0.72

The following teams are qualified for IEM Rio Major:

Legends Stage
FaZe
Ninjas in Pyjamas
Natus Vincere
ENCE

Challengers Stage
9z
FURIA
00NATION
IHC
fnatic
GamerLegion

To be determined*
Liquid
Evil Geniuses
Spirit
Cloud9
Sprout
Heroic
Vitality
OG

* Liquid vs. Evil Geniuses will decide one Legends spot

The highest seeded team between Spirit, Cloud9, and Sprout will secure a Legends spot automatically, and the other two teams will play for another

Heroic, Vitality, and OG will play in a third-place decider bracket for a Legends spot