MAX5 Invitational set to start
The MAX5 Invitational will kick off today, with ten teams battling it out for 25,000 Reais ($6,200) in cash prizes.
The state-of-the-art Mega Arena X5, in São Paulo, will host the biggest offline event in the history of South American CS:GO, with ten teams - nine from Brazil and one from Argentina - locking horns for their part of a $6,200 prize pool.
The tournament sees the 10 competing teams split into two groups of five teams, who will face each other in a best-of-one round robin stage. The top two sides from each group will then progress to the best-of-three semi-finals, with the title decider being played in a best-of-five format.
Luminosity Gaming are red-hot favourites to win the title, but Gabriel "FalleN" Toledo's side are expected to face stiff competition from Games Academy and from AlienTech and Keyd Stars, two of the newest top teams to emerge in the Brazilian scene.
The draw for the group stage of the tournament has produced the following groups:
| Group A | Group B |
 Luminosity |
Games Academy |
| g3nerationX |
AlienTech |
| INTZ |
 NTN |
| Santos.DEX |
Keyd Stars |
| CNB |
Gathers |
The complete tournament schedule can be found below:
| Wednesday, January 6 | |||
| 14:00 | g3x |
vs. | Santos.DEX |
| 15:30 | AlienTech |
vs. | Games Academy |
| 17:00 | INTZ |
vs. | CNB |
| 18:30 | NTN |
vs. | Keyd Stars |
| 20:00 | Luminosity |
vs. | g3x |
| 21:30 | AlienTech |
vs. | Gathers |
| Thursday, January 7 | |||
| 14:00 | g3x |
vs. | CNB |
| 15:30 | Games Academy |
vs. | Gathers |
| 17:00 | INTZ |
vs. | Santos.DEX |
| 18:30 | AlienTech |
vs. | Keyd Stars |
| 20:00 | Luminosity |
vs. | INTZ |
| 21:30 | Games Academy |
vs. | NTN |
| 23:00 | CNB |
vs. | Santos.DEX |
| Friday, January 8 | |||
| 14:00 | Games Academy |
vs. | Keyd Stars |
| 15:30 | Luminosity |
vs. | CNB |
| 17:00 | AlienTech |
vs. | NTN |
| 18:30 | g3x |
vs. | INTZ |
| 20:00 | Keyd Stars |
vs. | Gathers |
| 21:30 | Luminosity |
vs. | Santos.DEX |
| 23:00 | NTN |
vs. | Gathers |
| Saturday, January 9 | |||
| 14:00 | Semi-final #1 | ||
| 19:00 | Semi-final #2 | ||
| Sunday, January 10 | |||
| 15:00 | Third-fourth place decider | ||
| 19:00 | Grand final | ||