CAC official: Imperial withdrew due to an unexpected situation and will be replaced by Fluxo

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Imperial, the champion team of the Americas qualifiers, originally scheduled to participate in the 2025 Counter-Strike Asia Invitational (CAC), has officially withdrawn from the competition. According to an announcement from tournament organizer Perfect World Esports, their spot will be filled by Fluxo, the runner-up of the Americas qualifiers.

While Perfect World Esports has not yet explained the reason for Imperial's withdrawal, speculation suggests it may be related to the team's recent qualification for the Thunderpick World Championship. The event, to be held in Malta from October 15th to 19th, clashes with the 2025 Counter-Strike Asia Invitational.

With the conclusion of the CAC Asia Qualifiers, all 16 participating teams for the Counter-Strike Asia Invitational have been confirmed. The event will be held in Shanghai from October 14th to 19th, 2025, with a total prize pool of $1 million. The specific list of the 16 participating teams is as follows:

Directly invited teams: FaZe Clan, TYLOO, 3DMAX, LVG, paiN Gaming, Virtus.pro, Team Liquid, LEGACY, B8, MIBR

Teams that advanced from the qualifiers: GamerLegion, HEROIC, FUT, Fnatic, Fluxo, The Huns

According to the official announcement, the tournament will be divided into two phases. In the group stage, 16 teams will be divided into two groups for a double-elimination bracket. The group winners will advance directly to the semifinals, while the second and third-place teams will advance to the quarterfinals. After the knockout stage, the six qualified teams will compete in a single-elimination bracket. The quarterfinals, semifinals, and third-place match will be played in a best-of-three format, while the final will be a best-of-five format.