IEM Katowice 2019 CS:GO Major team list confirmed - Dexerto
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IEM Katowice 2019 CS:GO Major team list confirmed

Published: 28/Jan/2019 13:11 Updated: 28/Jan/2019 13:50

by Ross Deason

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IEM Katowice

The IEM Katowice Minors’ third place play-in tournament concluded on January 27 and the 24 teams that will compete at the 14th Valve sponsored CS:GO Major have officially been confirmed. Here’s everything you need to know.

The third place play-in competition saw the third place teams from each Minor get one last chance to earn a spot in the IEM Katowice New Challengers Stage in a four team, double-elimination bracket.

Unfortunately for North and Team Envy fans, this was still not enough for the European and North American hopefuls. Instead, Winstrike Team – the third place team from the CIS Minor – and ViCi Gaming – third in the Asia Minor – capitalized on their second chance and became the final two teams to make it to the Major.

ESLFan favorites ENCE cruised through the EU Minor.

They will join the eight teams that finished first or second in the Minors in the New Challengers Stage of the 2019 IEM Katowice CS:GO Major along with the six returning challengers from the FACEIT London Major.

The 2019 IEM Katowice participants for the New Challengers stage are as follows:

Minor Challengers

  • ENCE eSports
  • NRG Esports
  • AVANGER 
  • Renegades
  • Team Vitality
  • FURIA Esports
  • Team Spirit
  • Grayhound Gaming
  • Winstrike Team
  • ViCi Gaming

Returning Challengers

  • Ninjas in Pyjamas
  • Fnatic
  • G2 Esports
  • Vega Squadron
  • Cloud9 
  • TyLoo

Cloud9’s strong performance at the recent ELEAGUE Invitational will give the former Major champions some ahead of Katowice.

The 16 Challengers will compete from February 13 – 17 in the New Challengers Stage and the top eight will advance to face the top eight teams from FACEIT London, also known as the Returning Legends.

The full list of Returning Legends for the $1 million IEM Katowice 2019 Major is as follows:

Returning Legends

  • Astralis
  • Natus Vincere
  • MIBR
  • Team Liquid
  • compLexity Gaming
  • BIG
  • HellRaisers
  • FaZe Clan

Astralis will be the team to beat at the Katowice Major.

The New Legends stage of the contest will run from February 20 – 24 and the top eight teams will then advance to the New Champions Stage and play in a single-elimination bracket from February 28 – March 3. The last team standing will be the new Major champions.

You can can find out more about the IEM Katowice Major 2019 format, schedule and more in our how to watch guide and information hub. Alternatively, follow @Dexerto on Twitter for regular updates and news.

CS:GO

IEM Katowice 2021 quarterfinals preview

Published: 24/Feb/2021 18:21 Updated: 24/Feb/2021 20:02

by Andrew Amos
ESL

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IEM Katowice Sponsored Thrive

IEM Katowice 2021 has already served up some amazing matchups, and now the quarterfinals are upon us. With CIS supremacy sweeping the CS:GO server, Astralis stand as the lone force to try and stave the three Russian squads away.

Six teams have qualified for the playoffs at IEM Katowice 2021, and four of them are from CIS. Gambit, Natus Vincere, and Virtus.pro are hungry for quarterfinals success, while Spirit awaits one of them in the semifinals.

It’s put more pressure now, more than ever, onto two stalwarts of their respective scenes ⁠— Denmark’s (and Europe’s) Astralis, and North America’s Liquid. The latter looks reinvigorated with Gabriel ‘FalleN’ Toledo in the squad, while the former are struggling to reach their peak online.

Ahead of this weekend’s action, let’s take a look at the two quarterfinals ⁠— Gambit vs Natus Vincere and Virtus.pro vs Astralis ⁠— and what you should expect.

Gambit vs Natus Vincere

The battle for CIS supremacy will reign on in the quarterfinals of IEM Katowice when Gambit takes on Natus Vincere. This has been a historically Na’Vi-sided matchup, to the surprise of absolutely no one.

Gambit went on a lower-bracket tear to make it to the quarterfinals of IEM Katowice, and they won’t let their rivals stand in their way. Young gun Dmitry ‘sh1ro’ Sokolov is really trying to make a name for himself as CS:GO’s next big AWPer, trying to reach the heights of idols like Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Vastyliev.

Natus Vincere Socios s1mple

Seeing the two face off will be a treat in this quarterfinal, but don’t expect the reigning champions to take it easy. Na’Vi are really finding their stride now, and despite losing to Team Liquid to find themselves in this position, you can’t keep them down for long.

Denis ‘electronic’ Sharipov and s1mple are bouncing off each other better than ever, and it really feels like a repeat of IEM Katowice 2020 is on the cards. Na’Vi didn’t make it easy for themselves there in groups, before proceeding to demolish Liquid, Astralis, and G2 Esports without dropping a single map in playoffs.

Gambit’s going to have to be prepared for a Na’Vi they’ve never faced before. It’s the biggest stage this matchup has happened on, and while the potential for an upset is there, you’d have to back Na’Vi to finish strong at Katowice.

Thrive Props

  • Ax1le: 28.5 total kills
    • Over = 90 points
    • Under = 110 points
  • Hobbit: 43.5 total deaths
    • Over = 110 points
    • Under = 90 points
  • Electronic: 6.5 total assists
    • Over = 95 points
    • Under = 105 points
  • Flamie: 18.5 total headshots
    • Over = 105 points
    • Under = 95 points
  • S1mple: 75.5 total kills and deaths
    • Over = 100 points
    • Under = 100 points

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Virtus.pro vs Astralis

Virtus.pro and Astralis marks the first rematch of the StarLadder Major Berlin 2019 final. Back then, Astralis were decimating anyone in their patch, and VP (then Avangar) were collateral as the Danes took home their fourth major. However, it’s funny how things change in 18 months.

Astralis’ experimentation with six and seven-man rosters has led nowhere, and with the core five back together, they’ve been struggling to get back into gear. Virtus.pro, on the other hand, has started 2021 on fire with a win at cs_summit 7 (where Astralis didn’t play).

One also has to look at how far Virtus.pro has come since then. “Jame Time” might still be the slogan, but everyone from Timur ‘buster’ Tulepov to Mareks ‘YEKINDAR’ Galinskis have been pulling their weight. The team isn’t as reliant on Jame’s AWP to win as they once were, and he’s taken to the IGL role like a fish to water.

If there is one time where Virtus.pro could get their revenge, it’s now. VP have taken down Vitality and FURIA ⁠— two of the best teams in the world ⁠— to get here, and Astralis have been hot and cold to start off the year. The tournament remaining online likely doesn’t help Astralis either.

However, you can never count out the Danes. Much like Gambit vs Natus Vincere, the real big ticket matchup will be Jame vs Nicolai ‘device’ Reedtz. The AWPers will once again prove to be the deciding factor in this matchup, and if history is anything to go by, it should be explosive.

Thrive Props

  • Buster: 45.5 total kills
    • Over = 115 points
    • Under = 85 points
  • Sanji: 32.5 total deaths
    • Over = 80 points
    • Under = 120 points
  • Magisk: 9.5 total assists
    • Over = 100 points
    • Under = 100 points
  • gla1ve: 13.5 total headshots
    • Over = 90 points
    • Under = 110 points
  • Device: 88.5 total kills and deaths
    • Over = 110 points
    • Under = 90 points

The IEM Katowice 2021 quarterfinals get underway on February 26.

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