Two months after Beastcoast’s win against Team BDS at the BLAST R6 Major Manchester, international action is back in Rainbow Six Siege as the Esports World Cup will kick off later today.
Here’s a brief look at the first games of the day:
Team BDS vs. Team Cruelty
The French-majority roster will play against a Mexican squad for the first time as they will make their Esports World Cup debut versus Team Cruelty. Following the squad’s back-to-back Gamers8 championships and their BLAST R6 Major Manchester second-place finish, the Europeans are one of the favorites to take title back home.
Meanwhile, later today, the Mexican squad will become the first LATAM League roster to participate in two consecutive international events. Unfortunately, their debut in Manchester ended in a last-place finish after 0-2 defeats against Spacestation Gaming and CAG Osaka.
Spacestation Gaming vs. w7m esports
For the first time since the Six Invitational 2024, both Spacestation Gaming and w7m esports will clash in a Rainbow Six Siege match. It will be the sixth game between both organizations, with the Brazilian team having won the previous five matches. However, today’s game will be the first match between Spacestation Gaming and the former LOS roster, as the previous duels included the now-current FURIA Esports roster.
Additionally, fans all around the glove will be paying close attention to Benjamin “Benjamaster” Dereli’s international debut with Spacestation Gaming, as the Danish player joined the Americans from G2 Esports during the summer transfer window.
DarkZero Esports vs. Geekay Esports
Both teams will collide at an international Rainbow Six Siege competition for the first time since meeting at the Six Invitational 2024. Back then, the American-majority roster defeated the MENA League 2023 Stage 2 champions by 2-1 after victories on Chalet and Nighthaven Labs.
While no players will be making their international debut for DarkZero Esports, the former ENCE player Théo “Frenchy” Leguay will play at an international event for the first time in his professional career.
Luminosity Gaming vs. Team Bliss
Luminosity Gaming is making an international return four years and a half later, as the organization’s last Rainbow Six Siege international appearance was at the OGA PIT Season 3 played in Split, Croatia, in December 2019.
In front of the Americans will be Team Bliss, who will make their fifth-consecutive international appearance in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It will be William “Titan” Davie’s international debut as Team Bliss’ coach, as he parted ways with G2 Esports earlier this summer.
PSG Talon vs. Team Liquid
Despite PSG Talon’s Top 12 finish at the BLAST R6 Major Manchester after collecting two wins in the Swiss Stage, the South Korean squad made two changes as they incorporated Yoo “yass” Sang-hoon and Kim “RuMaTick” Jang-wook in the squad.
Meanwhile, an unchanged Team Liquid will be the South Koreans’ first opposition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as the winner of the series will play against the victorious side of the game between Luminosity Gaming and Team Bliss.
Into the Breach vs. FURIA Esports
FURIA Esports are back after the team’s disappointing quarter-final exit from the BLAST R6 Major Manchester following the squad’s defeat against their fellows at Team Liquid. The Brazilians will make their debut at the Esports World Cup against Into the Breach, who finished in second place at the Europe League 2024 Stage 1, only behind Team BDS. It will be the first time both teams clash internationally. It’s also worth mentioning that the Brazilians haven’t lost a single BO1 match since the team’s 4-7 defeat against Geekay Esports in Atlanta.
Wolves Esports vs. Bleed Esports
After missing out on the BLAST R6 Major Manchester, Wolves Esports made two roster changes as the French-majority lineup parted ways with Bastien “BiBooAF” Dulac and Axel “Shiinka” Freisberg to add Rahian “Asa” Ramos and Vivien “Lasmooo” Berthelot. Fortunately for the pack, the changes proved to work for them as they qualified for the Esports World Cup after victories against G2 Esports and Into the Breach.
Wolves Esports’ first international game since the previously mentioned changes will be against Bleed Esports, who also made changes this summer as they added Jake “Leadr” Fortunato and Lucas “Lenda” Diniz.
SCARZ vs. FaZe Clan
SCARZ and FaZe Clan will meet in a Rainbow Six Siege match today for the first time since the May 2023, when both rosters clashed in the BLAST R6 Major Copenhagen quarter-finals.
Since then, SCARZ have played against three different Brazilian teams, with the Japanese losing twice against LOS at the BLAST R6 Major Atlanta and at the Six Invitational 2024, and against FURIA Esports and Team Liquid at the BLAST R6 Major Manchester.