Cloud9 will have to start their Major run in the Challengers Stage after losing the Russian derby.

Spirit will go straight to the Legends Stage at the IEM Rio Major, having defeated Cloud9 2-1 in a the 4th place decider and condemning their compatriots to the Challengers Stage.

The two teams took each other's map pick, Spirit winning Vertigo 16-8 and Cloud9 retaliating on Dust2 16-5, but it was finally on Ancient that the Serbia-based team closed it out, 16-13.

"We didn't expect to be Legends from the RMR," Robert "⁠Patsi⁠" Isyanov said in the post-match interview. "It's a very young roster and we need more LAN experience," he added, speaking of Ihor "⁠w0nderful⁠" Zhdanov's incorporation in the summer.

Spirit made a statement in the first half of the series, attacking on Cloud9’s Vertigo and bagging nine rounds before the half with Leonid "⁠chopper⁠" Vishnyakov leading the way at the switch. Sergey "⁠Ax1Le⁠" Rykhtorov downed three players in an A hit in the second pistol round to get Cloud9 back in hot pursuit on the scoreboard, but Spirit had none of it, putting up a wall on the defense to win the map comfortably 16-8.

Cloud9’s dominated on the attacking side of Dust2 after a 3-3 start, winning seven of the last ten rounds to hit double digits at the switch. A ninja defuse by Timofey "⁠interz⁠" Yakushin in a 1vs1 clutch against w0nderful in the second pistol round kept Cloud9 firmly in the lead as they went on to cleanly win out the half 16-5.

The setting to decide the series was Ancient, where Spirit started on the often favored CT side, but despite a 6-1 lead, chopper and his men could not run away with a big lead immediately, but strung four rounds in a row late in the half to go up 10-5. A pistol ace by Dmitry "⁠sh1ro⁠" Sokolov after the switch, including a 1vs1 clutch and defuse, put Cloud9 in a strong position and they brought the map to 10-10.

The two teams continued at a stalemate 26 rounds in, but it was Spirit who hit double match point as Cloud9 forced pistols and SMGs with their back against the wall. Overwhelmed by Spirit's firepower, Abay "⁠HObbit⁠" Khassenov and company could not salvage overtime as Spirit secured a spot at the Major's Legends Stage.

Spirit	K - D	+/-	ADR	Rating 2.0
Robert 'Patsi' IsyanovPatsi	57 - 45	+12	86.6	1.30
Ihor 'w0nderful' Zhdanovw0nderful	54 - 40	+14	75.4	1.16
Boris 'magixx' Vorobievmagixx	53 - 47	+6	77.8	1.11
Leonid 'chopper' Vishnyakovchopper	49 - 45	+4	78.4	1.10
Pavel 'S1ren' OgloblinS1ren	47 - 48	-1	67.3	0.99

Cloud9	K - D	+/-	ADR	Rating 2.0
Sergey 'Ax1Le' RykhtorovAx1Le	52 - 48	+4	84.0	1.09
Dmitry 'sh1ro' Sokolovsh1ro	52 - 48	+4	76.3	1.00
Timofey 'interz' Yakushininterz	44 - 46	-2	63.4	0.93
Abay 'HObbit' KhassenovHObbit	43 - 57	-14	67.6	0.83
Vladislav 'nafany' Gorshkovnafany	34 - 63	-29	58.7	0.62

The teams confirmed at the Major so far are:

TBD*
Liquid
Evil Geniuses
HEROIC
OG

* Liquid vs. Evil Geniuses will decide one Legends spot

HEROIC and OG will play in a third-place decider bracket for a Legends spot