ESL reveal IEM Sydney qualifier dates
The qualifier dates and details for IEM Sydney 2019 have been revealed, with just a single spot being awarded for each qualifying region. The playoffs of the $250,000 tournament will return to the Qudos Bank Arena, with the full event set to run from April 30 - May 5th. Nine teams will receive direct invites to the event, with seven teams making their way through the qualifiers to earn their berth down under.
The details of the second Oceania qualifier remains unannounced, with ESL hinting that more would be revealed in due time.
The first North American qualifier will play out from January 30-31, while the second will take place just two days later from February 2-3. The two open qualifiers will see four teams advance to the final closed qualifier, where a total of eight teams will clash for a single spot at IEM Sydney.
Both open qualifiers will see best-of-ones played until the two semifinal matchups, where best-of-threes will determine which two teams will advance from each qualifier to the closed portion of the tournament. There, the eight teams will play through a double-elimination best-of-three bracket, with the grand final matchup being a best-of-five.
Signups for the two open qualifiers remain open on ESEA's website until the event begins, with links available below:
- Open qualifier #1 — January 30-31
- Open qualifier #2 — February 2-3
The current team list for IEM Sydney 2019 looks as follows:
 FaZe |
 Renegades |
 Invite |
Invite |
| Invite |
Invite |
| Invite |
Invite |
| Invite |
 NA Qualifier |
| Europe Qualifier |
[oce] Oceania Qualifier |
 Greater China Qualifier |
East Asia Qualifier |
| Southeast Asia Qualifier |
TBA |
Last year, IEM Sydney was the first LAN event to see the return of Dust2 to the competitive map pool. This year, the event is set to take place from April 30 - May 5th, with any potential changes after the IEM Katowice Major likely to take effect.
