IEM Fall, previously a standalone event, has been converted into the final round of qualifiers for the PGL Stockholm Major. Spanning six regions, the events will act as the last opportunity for teams to qualify for October’s pinnacle CS:GO event in Sweden.
EPIC Oceania League Spring in May was the first of two such qualifiers for the Oceanic region.
There, it was Renegades who defeated Order in a double-overtime thriller to claim victory and, most importantly, the 1600 RMR points up for grabs.
OCE has one invitation to the Stockholm Major Contender stage — the first Major since StarLadder Berlin 2019 — with the team possessing the most RMR points following IEM Fall getting the nod.
IEM Fall OCE will begin with two open qualifiers, starting September 9 and September 11. The winners of each open qualifier will join Dire Wolves and Rooster in September 17’s closed qualifier.
From here, the top two teams head to the IEM Fall main event on September 29, where Renegades and Order will await them.
Only the two grand finalists at the IEM Fall main event score RMR points, 2500 and 2344 respectively, meaning that if one of Renegades or Order makes the final without the other, the finalist will have an insurmountable lead in the RMR and qualify for Stockholm.
At the same time, should both RNG and Order fail to make the final, the door will be left open for a team to snatch away Oceania’s sole Major spot.
However, the rushed nature of the format and the limited time following IEM Fall’s conclusion before the start date of the Stockholm Major casts doubt over the OCE representative’s chances of attending.
Just three weeks separate the conclusion of the OCE RMR event and the start of the Stockholm Major. Given the limited time between qualification, a difficult travel schedule and no guarantee that the team could return to Australia due to COVID restrictions, a tournament withdrawal is not out of the question.
North American and Asian representatives will have one week fewer, with their IEM Fall RMR events not wrapping until just a fortnight before the beginning of the Major.
IEM Fall OCE Open Qualifiers are just around the corner. Registration for Open Qualifier 1 (September 9) and Open Qualifier 2 (September 11) is now open. Full IEM Fall information can be found on the official tournament website.
