Ahead of IEM Rio 2022, we wanted to publish a reminder to our replacement rules. All tournament rulings have been communicated to teams and players ahead of this article.

• ESL Pro Tour Rulebook - HERE
• IEM Rio 2022 General Rulebook - HERE
• IEM Rio 2022 Replacement Rules - HERE

Like IEM Katowice, or IEM Cologne, all of our tournaments abide by the following rule which can be found in both the EPT & IEM Rio General rulebook:

4.8 Stage matches
Each participant is required to play their stage matches, if they reach them. This is an integral component of the tournament and exceptions will not be allowed.

As we returned to live events at the start of the year, we expanded on the rationale behind the importance of the ruling as it plays a critical role in upholding tournament integrity.

IEM Katowice 2022: Our safety protocols, on-site processes & more - HERE
It will not be possible to play out of isolation due to the vast difference in the tournament environment (i.e. spectators, loud cheering, stage audio system, etc). All players will be required to be on stage and any player which may be positive and in isolation shall be replaced with a substitute.

IEM Rio 2022 will be the first CS:GO Major with all 3 stages played with an audience, therefore this policy and ruleset will be followed from the start of the tournament.

As a CS:GO Major, the tournament is also governed by published Valve rules regarding substitutes, which is also reflected in the IEM Rio 2022 Replacement Rules. This states that all teams should bring their registered sub to the tournament in case of any illness or inability to compete by one of the core (5) players. Any team that will not be able to field five (5) players out of their registered roster of six (6) will be unable to participate.

We understand that this ruling effectively means that if any sickness takes hold and a team is unable to field a full roster, that team would not be able to continue within the tournament. After looking at the matter from all perspectives, the conclusion was that the audio, audience, and entire setup in CS:GO is different with an advantage to a backstage environment, and therefore could not be allowed in the interest of the integrity of the competition.