Natus Vincere Joins the Race for the $1,000,000 Intel Grand Slam: Can They Take the Title?

Natus Vincere has become the latest team to join the pursuit of the Intel Grand Slam (IGS) Season 5 title and its $1,000,000 prize after their victory at ESL Pro League Season 20. The ukrainian team now joins other top competitors, including MOUZ, FaZe, Spirit, G2, and Vitality, in the race for the prestigious title.

The Intel Grand Slam was last reset following ESL Pro League Season 17 when FaZe claimed the championship. Season 5 of the IGS officially began at IEM Rio 2023, and this event in Brazil will be the final eligible tournament of the year before the winter break.

For MOUZ, winning at Rio is crucial to keeping their IGS hopes alive, as they only have two opportunities left. To secure the IGS, they must win either IEM Cologne, IEM Katowice, or an ESL-operated Major, all of which are required victories to claim the title.

FaZe find themselves in a similar situation to MOUZ, though they still have three chances remaining. Meanwhile, Spirit has four remaining opportunities but only one win so far — their triumph at IEM Katowice, an EPT Championship event.

Spirit will be the only one of the six contenders absent from the final IGS-eligible tournament of the year when IEM Rio begins on October 7.

G2, Vitality, and now Natus Vincere are the latest teams to enter the IGS race, each with one win under their belt and seven, eight, and nine remaining chances, respectively. Of the three, Vitality appears to be in the strongest position, despite having fewer attempts than Natus Vincere. Their win at IEM Cologne, an EPT Championship event, gives them a valuable edge in the competition.

Intel Grand Slam Standings:

• MOUZ (2 chances remaining)
• FaZe (3 chances remaining)
• Spirit (4 chances remaining)
• G2 (7 chances remaining)
• Vitality (8 chances remaining)
• Natus Vincere (9 chances remaining)

Next IGS-eligible event:

• IEM Rio 2024 — October 7-13