The IEM Rio Major 2022 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive event , or even a typical Major . For the Brazilian esports community, the tournament represented the overcoming of a turbulent period for electronic sports in the country.
A Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major was scheduled to take place in the Marvelous City in 2020, but the COVID-19 struck just months before its scheduled start. The event was postponed and later canceled after the pandemic had a devastating impact on Brazil. With the tournament's conclusion, the IEM Rio Major now signals a bright future
for Brazilian esports. Although esports don't have the same reach as beloved sports in the country, such as soccer and volleyball, the segment continues to grow, attracting more and more fans and investors and establishing itself as a national passion among younger people.
A great opportunity for organizers
The esports scene's turnaround wasn't necessarily inevitable. A low point of optimism was reached when ESL and Valve abruptly canceled the first
Counter-Strike Major in Brazil, which some already felt was long overdue.
Ironically, however, it was the pandemic-related surge in popularity of video games and esports that ultimately laid the groundwork for what was to come. For ESL and its owners, the excitement surrounding the event's return and the expanding esports audience created an unmissable opportunity.
"In May 2022, we re-announced the Brazilian CS:GO as the Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2022 Major, and that we would be coming to Rio de Janeiro in late October and early November 2022," explained Shaun Clark, Senior Director of Gaming Ecosystems and CS:GO at ESL FACEIT Group. "This was one of the most welcome announcements in CS:GO, as one of the most anticipated tournaments was back on the map. So highly anticipated that tickets sold out within an hour."
“This led us to our next challenge, how we could evolve the tournament to accommodate as many fans as possible, and that was the creation of the expansion plan that we published in early September 2022, including additional tickets to all parts of the tournament, and even a Fan Fest with Gaules (the biggest esports streamer in Brazil),” Clark concluded.
With this opportunity came new challenges for the event organizers. A huge effort went into creating and expanding the tournament, and over 300 staff members, including the same core team that manages IEM mainstays like Katowice and Cologne, came to Rio to ensure Brazil's first Major came to life.
Brazilian market gains prominence
Brazil has quickly become a central part of the global esports machine, as its fan base consistently catapults teams and players to the top of the world
in terms of engagement and popularity. The most notable example is LOUD, which in 2022 was the most talked-about esports organization on Twitter, in addition to being a constant presence
Midnite 's esports markets .
These aspects support ESL's increasingly ambitious efforts in the Brazilian market. "Esports and gaming in Brazil are on a substantial rise and have been for a long time," Clark added. "The community there is one of the most passionate fan bases in esports, not just CS:GO. We are very excited about the future of the ESL FACEIT Group, esports, and gaming in South America."
The Rio Major was a tremendous commercial success for Brazil and ESL. In addition to selling out venues and boosting jersey sales, the event helped Brazilian esports organizations secure lucrative sponsorship deals.
According to Eli McCarrel, director of global partnerships at ESL FACEIT Group, there's business potential at both the Rio Major and the South American market. "South America is an exciting and important market for our brand partners, and they look forward to delivering incredible experiences to the passionate CS:GO community in Brazil."
"This is a great step toward building more opportunities for our fans in South America. We're excited to grow in this market and offer more incredible experiences for our brand partners and the esports and gaming community. We look forward to partnering with more brands in the future that share our enthusiasm for Brazil and South America," McCarrel concluded.
Stakeholders and investors will be paying more attention to the expansion of Brazilian esports as a volatile period comes to an end and the Rio Major concludes with loud cheers, obvious excitement, and stories to tell. It's a no-brainer for the ESL FACEIT Group. Clark concluded: "We want to do more in the region, and we will do more."
