CSGO’s latest update and operation, titled “Operation Riptide,” has brought a bevy of new features and gameplay changes to the longest running tactical FPS title in esports. The update included changes to weapons, maps, and after-death vision. A full list of the changes coming in the new CSGO update can be found on the Operation Riptide page of the Counter-Strike website. IEM Fall 2021 is scheduled to begin on the 28th, meaning that by the time the tournament begins, the CSGO update will have been live for only a week.

The official IEM account on Twitter posted how the entirety of IEM Fall 2021 will take place on that latest version of CSGO, meaning that dropped utility, changes to Dust2 and Ancient, and weapons changes will be live in a competition that has single-elimination playoffs. As if the pressure of single-elimination brackets weren’t enough, IEM Fall 2021 will be establishing regional ranks for Europe, CIS, North America, South America, Asia, and Oceanic divisions that will determine participants for the upcoming PGL Major Stockholm in October. 

Teams will definitely be scrambling to practice on the new CSGO update, while some teams like FaZe and NAVI are currently involved in the BLAST Premier Fall group stages, meaning that any time that could be dedicated to practicing is probably occupied by competition. 

Another thing to note is that IEM Fall 2021 will be happening on LAN in Europe, meaning that several teams will be in the process of traveling to the event, assuming they didn’t travel prior to CSGO’s update release. Travel will further complicate any kind of practice opportunities teams may get on the new patch prior to IEM Fall 2021. Other regions may have it easier as they will be competing online, but new patches can sometimes bring connectivity issues, as we’ve seen with Apex Legends last week. 

For CSGO fans, IEM Fall 2021 will offer an exciting opportunity to see professional teams adapt to an unfamiliar update to CSGO. The nature of IEM Fall 2021 occurring on the new patch so soon after its release means that there could be possible upsets during competition. It’s sure to be an exciting watch for everyone tuning in.