IEM Fall: What to Expect

Before long, it will be time for IEM Fall, one of the most exciting events of the year for Counter-Strike eSports fans. This year is a little unusual, however. Counter-Strike 2 is set to replace Counter-Strike Global Offensive (CS:GO). This leaves us with some questions about what to expect from IEM Fall.

One thing we do know is that it will still be easy to place bets on Counter Strike 2 Tournaments. High quality sites like Thunder Pick will offer action on IEM Fall regardless of which game is played at the event. Let’s take a closer look at IEM Fall and the transition from CS:GO to Counter-Strike 2.

Let’s Talk About the Counter-Strike 2 Release Date

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has been one of the most dominant titles in eSports since the game released in 2012. But now, change is in the wind.

CS:GO’s popularity has not waned over all of these years. If anything, it has increased. But it is due for a replacement. The sequel to CS:GO is Counter-Strike 2 (CS2). So far as we can tell, CS2 will replace CS:GO outright, rather than stand alongside it.

Right now, the CS2 beta is already active. In fact, you can even stream it and get a look at the future of the franchise yourself. Some IEM and Blast tournaments have also featured CS2 show matches. You also may be able to get beta access yourself (which we strongly recommend you do if you want to bet on IEM Sydney).

When will the full version of Counter-Strike 2 go live? The official word from Valve is simply “Summer 2023.” Of course, summer is now ending. According to recent rumors, the release date will probably be no later than September 23rd, 2023. This makes sense, from a season scheduling standpoint. So, although it is not official, we do expect CS2 to release in full any day now.

What Game Will Be Played at IEM Fall?

All of this raises an obvious question. When IEM Fall takes place this year, will it feature CS:GO, or will the competitors be playing CS2?

Strangely enough, this is another question we do not yet know the answer to. Neither Valve nor Intel Extreme Masters has made a clear, official statement about which version of the game the participants will play.

On the official page for IEM Sydney 2023, there is a link to the EPT CS:GO rules. But we would not take this as a confirmation that the game will be CS:GO rather than CS2.

In fact, even Graeme Du Toit, Head of Sales and Marketing at ESL, has reportedly said that they don’t know whether IEM Fall will feature CS2 or CS:GO. So, we are just going to have to wait and see. With the tournament coming up fast, it should not be long before there is an update.

What Else to Know About IEM Fall 2023

IEM Fall is part of SXSW Sydney 2023, and will take place at ICC Sydney on October 20th through the 22nd. 16 teams will compete in the tournament for $250,000 in prize money. The tagline for the event is, “The Big Reunion.”

Quarter-finals will take place on day 1, followed by semi-finals on day 2. The Grand Final will take place on the last day of the tournament.

Participating teams in IEM Fall 2023 include Team Vitality, ENCE, Faze Clan, G2 Esports, Navi, MOUZ, Grayhound, Cloud9, GamerLegion, Monte, FNatic, Apeks, BetBoom, Complexity, Vertex ESC, and Lynn Vision.

Additional details about the event as well as the IEM Fall 2023 full schedule can be found on IEM’s official website.

Where Can You Bet on IEM Fall?

IEM Fall has been a popular event to bet on for many years running. That is going to be true in 2023 as well, regardless of which game the teams play.

Tickets for IEM Sydney 2023 are sold out already. But you should not despair. You can stream the event online, and you can bet on it online too.

We recommend heading to Thunder Pick where you can bet on IEM Sydney 2023 and other Counter-Strike eSports events. You can even bet while events are live for some extra excitement. Signing up is fast and easy, and you can find competitive odds for Counter-Strike, Dota 2, Halo, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and other eSports. If you want, you can even bet with crypto.

If you can, we recommend that you take some time to play in the Counter-Strike 2 beta before the fall tournament. That way, you will be able to get a feel for the sequel to CS:GO, and you will get a better understanding of the changes in gameplay.

If IEM Sydney 2023 does end up featuring Counter-Strike 2, what you learn playing the beta may give you an edge as you are planning your bets.