Eternal Fire Withdraw, SAW Accept Invitation

SAW has officially been confirmed as a replacement invitee for the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Melbourne 2025, taking the place previously held by the Turkish team Eternal Fire. This decision follows the latter team’s unexpected withdrawal from the tournament, which was made without public explanation.

The speculation surrounding Eternal Fire’s exit suggests they may be facing scheduling conflicts. The team is slated to participate in four significant tournaments over the next five weeks: PGL Bucharest 2025, YaLLa Compass Qatar 2025, IEM Melbourne 2025, and PGL Astana 2025. Such a dense schedule likely contributed to their decision to withdraw.

#IEM Melbourne 2025 Teams Update 🚨 @eternalfiregg has withdrawn from the event. In accordance with the latest global ranking, we approached the next eligible teams. @sawggofficial has accepted the invite and will join us down under!

Full details available in our blog post. pic.twitter.com/8HQEXsmY0R

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) April 3, 2025

With their numbers diminished, the Turkish organization will now have approximately one month to prepare for PGL’s third LAN event, assuming they advance to the knockout stage at the YaLLa Compass Qatar 2025. Currently, SAW occupies the 17th position in the CS2 global rankings; however, they rank 19th in March’s Valve Regional Standings (VRS). This means they were the fourth team in line to step in for Eternal Fire at the Australian tournament.

G2 Esports, Astralis, and FURIA, who initially declined their invites back in February, have reaffirmed their decision not to travel to Australia. Astralis and FURIA cited the same reasons as before, while G2 Esports was unable to secure visas in time for the event.

By accepting the invitation, SAW is poised to participate in their fourth LAN Counter-Strike 2 tournament of the season. This will be their first appearance since finishing 12th-14th in the ESL Pro League Season 21. In total, SAW has competed in five events this year, achieving their best result with a fifth-eighth place finish at PGL Cluj-Napoca in February.

Taking into account their inconsistent performances, it is not surprising that SAW is not favored to clinch the IEM Melbourne 2025 title. Leading esports betting platforms are currently listing them as $101.00 outsiders for victory, placing them ahead of only BIG ($151.00) and FlyQuest ($501.00).

The IEM Melbourne 2025 is set to commence on April 21, 2025, with the first round of the group stage. As anticipation builds for this prestigious event, both fans and analysts alike will be keenly observing SAW’s performance and their potential to disrupt the competition.

Stay tuned for the latest updates and in-depth analyses on the thrilling world of esports and competitive gaming.