CSGO groups conform to play in full darkness at IEM Rio 2023 after lighting fault

Heroic and TheMongolZ agreed to play in full darkness at IEM Rio 2023 after a lighting rig fault, with each groups opting to proceed on regardless of the large change in situations. 

Throughout 2020, when all CSGO occasions switched to on-line play, it turned a well-known sight to see participant cams that had been fully darkish, with esports superstars solely illuminated by their displays. It was solely once we got here again to in-person LANs that it turned a a lot rarer sight in Tier One CSGO. 

Nevertheless it appears viewers had been handled to a small throwback to the web days when throughout an IEM Rio 2023 Group Stage match between Heroic and TheMongolZ, the lights within the stadium out of the blue went off, shrouding gamers in full darkness. 

Essentially the most stunning half? No one batted a watch. Not one of many gamers was startled, and nor had been the casters. To be honest, each casters had been off-site and never truly within the venue when the lights went out. 

In spherical 20 of the second map, because the observer is on BART4K’s pov, we out of the blue see his participant cam go darkish and he’s nonetheless totally centered on his display screen. Shortly after MongolZ loses the spherical, a tech pause is taken.

This intermission was slightly brief given the circumstance. It was solely after the second map was completed, with TheMongolZ taking it to a 3rd, when the casters revealed that the gamers all unanimously agreed to play at nighttime throughout this temporary pause within the motion. 

HLTV author, Nohte, posted a surreal image of the stage, with the MongolZ gamers sitting at nighttime.

Pietro, a Senior Accomplice Supervisor for ESL, in contrast it to a “LAN sleepover celebration.” Harkening to the previous days of Dreamhack LANs the place avid gamers would play at nighttime all evening. 

Regardless of the lighting points, it appears it didn’t faze the gamers in any respect. Heroic would go on to take the collection 2-1, and their subsequent decrease bracket match might be in opposition to NIP, preventing for a playoff spot within the elimination match.