Vitality defeat G2 and advance to Group A final at IEM Rio 2026

As predicted, Vitality triumphed over G2 Esports in the upper bracket semifinal of Group A at IEM Rio 2026. The French squad took the series 2–1, securing a spot in the playoffs.

Surprisingly, it was a very close series — Vitality lost the first map but managed to win the second and third by narrow margins. Despite finishing the series with fewer total rounds than G2, they still came out on top.

IEM Rio 2026 runs from April 13 to 19. Sixteen teams are competing for a $300,000 prize pool and the championship title. All matches except the grand final are played in a best-of-three format, while the final is best-of-five.