IEM Beijing 2026 Invites Set: Falcons Lead, Vitality and Spirit Out
Falcons top the team list for the $1.25 million event after Spirit and Vitality declined their invites, with PARIVISION and FaZe stepping in as replacements.
Falcons Headline a Strong Field
The invite list for IEM Beijing 2026 is taking shape, and the $1.25 million Counter-Strike 2 event has a compelling field even without two of the tour’s biggest names. According to HLTV, Falcons will arrive in the Chinese capital as the VRS top seed, bringing a roster headlined by karrigan, NiKo, m0NESY, TeSeS, and kyousuke. MOUZ and Natus Vincere slot in right behind them in the rankings, and FURIA make the trip as defending champions of IEM Chengdu 2025, the direct predecessor to this event.
Legacy, BetBoom, G2, and Aurora round out the rest of the global invites that were accepted. As HLTV reports, only two teams from the ten global VRS invites turned the event down, which is a fairly clean acceptance rate for a tournament of this scale.
Vitality and Spirit Take a Pass
The notable absences here are Spirit and Vitality. Both squads declined their invitations, leaving two spots open in the lineup. Spirit, currently sitting at number two in the VRS according to the source, is a significant pull from any event. Vitality, ranked fourth, carry ZywOo and ropz on their roster and are rarely easy to replace on a bracket sheet.
Stepping into those vacated spots are PARIVISION and FaZe. PARIVISION, ranked 14th in the August 3 VRS snapshot reported by HLTV, are built around veterans like Jame and FL1T. FaZe, sitting ninth, bring frozen and Twistzz back onto an international stage. Neither team is a consolation prize exactly, but the event will feel the absence of donk and ZywOo all the same.
Regional Spots Fill Out the Bracket
Beyond the global invites, IEM Beijing draws regional representation from three additional teams. Team Liquid carry the North American flag with NAF, EliGE, and malbsMd on the roster. South America sends 9z, ranked seventh in the VRS, featuring max, dgt, and meyern. The MongolZ represent Asia, bringing bLitz, Techno, and 910 for what figures to be a home-region showcase.
Three spots remain open and will be decided through closed qualifiers: one in Asia and two in Europe. Those qualifier results will complete a 17-team field that already has plenty of storylines.
What to Watch For
FURIA arriving as the reigning Chengdu champions puts an interesting target on the Brazilian squad’s back. That 2025 title was the predecessor event to Beijing, and defending that kind of momentum at a renamed but closely related tournament is a genuine narrative worth tracking.
The VRS rankings used for invites were locked in as of August 3, per HLTV, which means the seeding picture reflects a fairly recent competitive snapshot. Falcons at number one is a statement about where that roster sits right now, with karrigan and NiKo sharing a server together at the top of the food chain.
With Spirit and Vitality out, the event loses some of its highest-ceiling potential matchups. But Falcons, MOUZ, NaVi, FURIA, G2, and FaZe in the same bracket still makes for a credible international field. The qualifier spots could add even more texture depending on who punches through from Europe and Asia. IEM Beijing 2026 has the pieces for a genuinely entertaining event even if it did not land its full wish list.
Which teams were invited to IEM Beijing 2026?
The confirmed teams are Falcons, MOUZ, 9z, Natus Vincere, Legacy, FURIA, BetBoom, Aurora, G2, PARIVISION, FaZe, The MongolZ, and Liquid, with three additional spots to be filled by closed qualifiers.
Why are Vitality and Spirit not at IEM Beijing 2026?
Both Vitality and Spirit declined their invitations to the event, according to HLTV. PARIVISION and FaZe secured tickets in their places.
What is the prize pool for IEM Beijing 2026?
IEM Beijing 2026 carries a prize pool of $1.25 million, according to HLTV.
Who won IEM Chengdu 2025, the predecessor to IEM Beijing?
FURIA were the champions of IEM Chengdu in 2025, according to HLTV.