IEM Atlanta 2026 Closed Qualifier Schedule (Feb 11): Matches, Results, Teams & Format

The IEM Atlanta 2026 Global Closed Qualifier moves into its decisive stage on February 11, with teams fighting for the final playoff positions and survival in the lower bracket.

The online qualifier runs Feb 10–12 and features 16 teams competing for two spots at the $1,000,000 IEM Atlanta LAN, scheduled for May 11–17 during DreamHack Atlanta.

This stage of the tournament is critical: by the end of today, only a handful of teams will remain in contention for qualification.

Why This Qualifier Is Especially Important in 2026

The Atlanta event is unusually open this year due to a major calendar clash with PGL Astana.

According to HLTV, several top-10 teams declined invites to IEM Atlanta because the events overlap. As a result, the qualifier has become one of the biggest opportunities of the year for Tier-2 and Tier-1 bubble teams to reach a major LAN.

This dramatically raises the stakes of the closed qualifier and increases the chances of breakthrough runs.

IEM Atlanta 2026 Closed Qualifier Format

Understanding the format helps explain why Feb 11 is such a pivotal day.

Tournament format

16 teams

Double-elimination bracket

All matches Best-of-3

Top 2 teams qualify for IEM Atlanta LAN

How teams qualified

Invites via Valve Regional Standings

Winners from Open Qualifiers

This structure allows teams one second chance through the lower bracket — but losses today will eliminate many rosters.

Day 1 Results Recap (Feb 10)

The opening day already reshaped the bracket and delivered several notable results.

Key matches played

fnatic defeated OG 2–0

fnatic defeated K27 2–1

BetBoom beat ENCE 2–0

BET-M eliminated EYEBALLERS 2–1

Inner Circle beat Tricked 2–1

These results pushed early favourites toward the upper bracket while sending several contenders into elimination matches.

IEM Atlanta Qualifier Schedule – Feb 11 (CET)

14:00 CET — Lower Bracket Round 2

Four elimination matches start the day.

What’s at stake:
Teams that lose are immediately eliminated from the qualifier.

17:00 CET — Upper Bracket Semifinals + Lower Bracket Round 3

This is the most important block of the day.

Upper bracket winners: move one step away from qualification
Lower bracket losers: eliminated

20:00 CET — Lower Bracket Round 4

The final matches of the day decide who reaches Championship Sunday.

Teams to Watch in the IEM Atlanta Qualifier

fnatic – Early Momentum

Fnatic started strong with two series wins and look like one of the most stable teams in the bracket.

BetBoom – Upper Bracket Threat

A clean 2-0 victory over ENCE places BetBoom among the strongest contenders.

Rising Tier-2 Teams

The qualifier features a mix of:

Academy teams

Open qualifier dark horses

EU Tier-2 contenders

This combination makes upset runs highly likely.

IEM Atlanta 2026 Main Event Overview

The LAN event will feature:

16 teams

$1,000,000 prize pool

DreamHack Atlanta venue

ESL Pro Tour points

Confirmed invited teams include:
Vitality, NAVI, FaZe, Astralis, Team Liquid, GamerLegion, paiN, NRG and others.

The remaining two teams will come from this qualifier.

What Happens Next

Feb 12 – Qualification Day

Upper Bracket Final

Lower Bracket Final

Final qualification matches

By the end of tomorrow, the final two teams heading to IEM Atlanta 2026 will be decided.