IEM Sydney 2019 is less than a month away and today, ESL has announced two opportunities for Australian esports teams to make the cut.
Two upcoming qualifiers will give the best of Australia and New Zealand the chance to compete at IEM Sydney 2019. These events are the Oceanic Qualifiers and the ‘IEM Sydney Derby.’ The Sydney Derby is part of ESL’s Australian and New Zealand Nation Championships in CS:GO
It represents the first time ever, that a local championship series feeds into a global IEM competition.
IEM Sydney 2019
The winners of the Australian and New Zealand Nation Championships will be joined by the winners of the Oceanic Qualifiers. The two teams that win these events will join 16 of the best esports teams from around the world for IEM Sydney 2019.
Taking place on May 3 through 5, IEM Sydney 2019 will be held at Qudos Bank Arena and see players compete for a share of $250,000 USD.
Senior Vice President of ESL Asia-Pacific Japan Nick Vanzetti said;
The Australian esports scene continues to show amazing potential and growth, and the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive community are being given a great opportunity as part of that.
Two teams to keep your eye on in these qualifiers are Grayhound Gaming and ORDER. Grayhound Gaming is looking to secure their spot at the Oceanic Qualifiers and return to IEM Sydney 2019 after a great performance at last year’s event.
Oliver “DickStacy” Tierney, player for Grayhound said;
Not being jet-lagged is bloody fantastic.
IEM Sydney is a one of a kind event for Australia, we’re looking forward to versing the big boys again on home soil.
ORDER won’t be letting Grayhound just walk away with one of the spots though as Chris “emagine” Rowland, player for ORDER explains;
We’ve been working hard to ensure that we perform to our standards for IEM, after some close losses at the event last year. The Oceanic region is the strongest I’ve seen it – I’m certainly optimistic about seeing some deeper runs from us this year.
The Oceanic Qualifiers take place on April 14 and can be viewed on Twitch. The IEM Sydney Derby takes place on April 18 and can also be viewed on Twitch.
Tickets for IEM Sydney 2019 are on sale through Ticketek with prices starting at $45 AUD. The event takes place from May 3 through 5.
For more information, check the website.
