IEM Rio becomes second-largest CS:GO Major in terms of prize pool

ESL has raised the prize pool of the upcoming IEM Rio Major, the second Valve-sponsored CS:GO tournament of the year, from $1 million to $1.25 million. This means that each of the 24 teams attending the event will now earn prize money.

ESL relocated the additional $250,000 from the IEM Road to Rio prize pool. Before this change, the bottom-placed teams (17th to 24th) would not earn any prize money whatsoever, just sticker money. Now, they’ll win $10,000 for their placing and the rest of the money was allocated across the other placings aside from the champion, who will still earn $500,000.