Astralis & FaZe invited to IEM Oakland

Astralis and FaZe have been invited to compete at IEM Oakland, ESL has announced.

The European duo, who are currently ranked second and third in the world, respectively, are the first two teams confirmed for the IEM event, which will take place on November 18-19 at the Oracle Arena, home of NBA franchise Golden State Warriors.

Six more spots will be filled through invites, two of which will be revealed on Friday. The last four teams will be determined via qualifiers, with details expected to be released in the coming weeks.

Astralis invited to IEM Oakland

A total of $300,000 will be up for grabs at IEM Oakland, making it the fourth event to count towards the Intel Grand Slam (after ESL One Cologne, DreamHack Masters Malmö and ESL One New York). 

The 12 participating teams will be split into two best-of-one round robin groups. The group winners will advance to the semi-finals, while the second and the third-placed sides will be placed in the quarter-finals. The single-elimination playoffs will culminate with the best-of-five grand final, scheduled for 20:00 .

Ticket sales will go up on Friday at 21:00 on the event's official website. Below you can find the team list as it stands:

Denmark Astralis Europe FaZe
Other Invite #3 Other Invite #4
Other Invite #5 Other Invite #6
Other Invite #7 Other Invite #8
Other Qualifier #1 Other Qualifier #2
Other Qualifier #3 Other Qualifier #4

Ninjas in Pyjamas are the current IEM Oakland champions after defeating SK 2-1 in the grand final of the 2016 edition, which took place from November 16-20.

Below you can find the prize distribution for the event:

1. $125,000
2. $50,000
3-4. $25,000
5-6. $12,000
7-8. $5,000
9-10. $3,500
11-12. $2,000

(+$1,000 per group stage win)

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Good to see 2 great teams get invited
2017-06-22 18:55
9 replies
#2
 | 
Bosnia and Herzegovina nikokokoko
ez faze
2017-06-22 18:55
#13
 | 
Poland rabk000
Wasted slots
2017-06-22 18:58
7 replies
#18
 | 
Bosnia and Herzegovina nikokokoko
dont worry vp will not get invited))))
2017-06-22 19:00
wasted slots cause VP cant win against these 2 :^(
2017-06-22 19:11
5 replies
#26
 | 
Poland rabk000
Vp era is coming Mark my words
2017-06-22 19:12
4 replies
VP era in premier
2017-06-22 19:26
3 replies
#41
Old school: User been here for more than 10 years  | 
Poland sajlent
they won't play in premier
2017-06-22 19:39
2 replies
#68
 | 
Australia Raychippy5
Yes because they got knocked out of premier
2017-06-22 23:19
1 reply
#77
Old school: User been here for more than 10 years  | 
Poland sajlent
nope they won't play it because premier won't have promotion spots for EPL in the next season it will have it after that season
2017-06-23 02:44
#6
 | 
Russia v1p3rrr
#ToTheStars
2017-06-22 18:57
#8
 | 
Russia Q1F
why not SK?
2017-06-22 18:57
3 replies
They will be next with VP and NiP
2017-06-22 23:41
2 replies
NIP hahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahhahahahahahahhaahahha
2017-06-23 04:22
1 reply
"NiP are the current IEM Oakland champions after defeating SK 2-1 in the grand final of the 2016 edition, which took place from November 16-20." Nice troll I guess?
2017-06-23 04:25
#9
 | 
Russia dafrostyy
ez 4 NiKo
2017-06-22 18:57
The winner is here
2017-06-22 18:57
Ez Sk
2017-06-22 18:57
NiP are the current IEM Oakland champions after defeating SK 2-1 in the grand final of the 2016 edition, which took place from November 16-20. Pls dont invite NiP , let them qualify via qualifiers...
2017-06-22 18:57
7 replies
#16
 | 
Brazil thinking_
i was thinking that too but i think that team that wins a tournament should be automatic in next tournament aswell.
2017-06-22 18:59
6 replies
#27
 | 
Australia USTlLO
+1 no exceptions just cus nip hit rockbottom
2017-06-22 19:13
3 replies
#44
Old school: User been here for more than 10 years  | 
 | 
Denmark BATISTUTA9
What if there is 3 or 4 new players on the team?
2017-06-22 20:01
2 replies
Well yeah that would make sense cause once there is 3 new players a team is no longer considered the same team. But NIP still has GTR Xist and F0rest. They had all of them at the last IEM event so they're still technically the same team.
2017-06-22 20:03
#55
 | 
Australia USTlLO
well thats another topic
2017-06-22 20:56
#39
 | 
Canada p1peb0mb
in that case fnatic should have been invited to katowice since they won in 2016.but they had to qualify.so in this case also they should force nip to qualify.
2017-06-22 19:28
1 reply
#54
 | 
France t3r4byt3
Yeah but NiP have kept GTR, f0rest and Xizt ever since, while Fnatic split up for a while. That split probably influenced ESL's decision to not invite them.
2017-06-22 20:55
Hoping to see Fnatic get invited too :) They have been playing so good lately!
2017-06-22 18:58
#15
mika | 
Faroe Islands kLango
Pls SA qualifiers :)
2017-06-22 18:58
#19
paz | 
Sweden daboxD
ez 4 spaceS Qualifier
2017-06-22 19:00
#21
 | 
Denmark Emil0w
Ez VP
2017-06-22 19:02
2 replies
Ez lose for Virtus.Premier Virtus.Throw
2017-06-23 09:09
1 reply
#90
 | 
Denmark Emil0w
just w8 they will eat everything at some point thats for sure its VP
2017-06-23 16:40
#23
 | 
Indonesia Herpeto
Asia Qualifier pls esl :/
2017-06-22 19:03
#24
 | 
India sizzlinorc
NiP comeback I'm calling it, semis ez
2017-06-22 19:06
Expected
2017-06-22 19:16
#29
 | 
Russia ZippSluvik
+NiP 100%
2017-06-22 19:16
#31
Old school: User been here for more than 10 years  | 
 | 
Poland trancemeister
+ SK , VP , G2 , North , Na'Vi , NiP / Cloud9.
2017-06-22 19:17
2 replies
fnatic???? they deserve it more than NiP/clown9
2017-06-22 20:53
1 reply
#56
Old school: User been here for more than 10 years  | 
 | 
Poland trancemeister
true :) my bad :)
2017-06-22 20:57
lol, G2 wins ESL pro league finals and isn't first to be invited.
2017-06-22 19:18
1 reply
What kinda retarded logic is that
2017-06-22 23:42
#33
 | 
Hungary Unty
invite MOUZ!
2017-06-22 19:20
#35
Old school: User been here for more than 10 years  | 
frozen | 
Brazil fgw1z
SK top 1 ofc
2017-06-22 19:25
#37
Phoey | 
Denmark Phoey
Lets hope for SK, G2, North, Fnatic, OpTic and Na'Vi now
2017-06-22 19:28
#37
Phoey | 
Denmark Phoey
Lets hope for SK, G2, North, Fnatic, OpTic and Na'Vi now
2017-06-22 19:28
#42
 | 
Denmark slacking
invite the rest of top10 now
2017-06-22 19:50
Nip should be invited next . they re the last oakland champs
2017-06-22 19:51
after the esl cologne group stage iem should invite #7 spaces
2017-06-22 20:28
NiP will get invited 100%
2017-06-22 20:29
(+$1,000 per group stage win) well thats cool
2017-06-22 20:37
+NiP +North +Virtus.Throw +fnatic +G2 +Cloud9
2017-06-22 21:16
3 replies
#65
 | 
France t3r4byt3
-C9 +CLG/Liquid
2017-06-22 22:35
2 replies
Cloud9 may be bad but they're better than CLG and Liquid
2017-06-22 23:43
1 reply
#76
 | 
France t3r4byt3
Head-to-head matchup maybe. Put the three against other EU teams though, and C9 will be the worst of them (unless it's against G2).
2017-06-23 01:00
#60
Nepal OTAN
ez for G2
2017-06-22 21:37
#61
Old school: User been here for more than 10 years  | 
 | 
Thailand hahahoha
ez for KD
2017-06-22 21:39
#62
 | 
Portugal beatje
Ez for NiP.
2017-06-22 21:40
NiP win the last year , invite nip.
2017-06-22 21:45
Top boring teams EU invited already, woooo, it will be CrEaZeYYaaYYyyy...!!!
2017-06-22 22:17
#74
 | 
United States ViKaLiBuR
Some of these events really should start inviting Team Liquid instead of always inviting Cloud 9 and OpTic Gaming. Team Liquid seems highly better than both but aren't given the same opportunities as them which is outrageous.
2017-06-23 00:45
I hate the IEM format. Stop putting teams into semi finals without playing a BO3.
2017-06-23 00:50
+sk +nip +fnatic +vp +north +navi
2017-06-23 02:47
1 reply
-north +g2
2017-06-23 02:48
ez 4 liquid
2017-06-23 03:05
#84
ZywOo | 
Indonesia FinZzz
Now invite sk, g2, north, fnatic, navi, virtuspro/gambit
2017-06-23 04:27
+SK please!
2017-06-23 07:18
Go FaZe win this tournament and defeat Astralis before Virtus.Premier will do it or what worse G2 or SK will do it .
2017-06-23 08:51
#88
 | 
Netherlands Benji_In_FaZe
I bet NIP get invited too You hear it here first
2017-06-23 09:14
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