Results of IEM Katowice 2024: Team Spirit’s Expected Victory or a Stroke of Luck?
Group Stage
The biggest disappointment of the tournament was undoubtedly Vitality. With players like ZywOo and apEX, they entered the tournament as favorites. Their stellar performances towards the end of last year and a confident showing at BLAST seemed to settle any doubts regarding recent roster changes. Moreover, Group B appeared relatively straightforward, and making it to the playoffs shouldn’t have posed any issues. However, Vitality failed to secure a single win and were the first to exit the tournament.
In their debut match, they were defeated by ENCE, and in the lower bracket, Heroic unexpectedly knocked out the main favorites. It’s important to note that both teams advanced to the main event from the Play-in stage. By the time they reached the main tournament, players had already immersed themselves and gained momentum. Perhaps, this was the primary reason for the downfall of the world’s number one team according to HLTV.
Another unexpected setback came from the star-studded team from the CIS – Cloud9. The team faced difficulties already in the Play-in stage but managed to overcome Virtus.pro when it mattered, securing a spot in Katowice. However, it seemed that they left all their energy there. Their lackluster performances against MOUZ and Monte, where the star-studded lineup faced issues again, reignited discussions about the necessity of a sniper and potential roster changes. Most likely, they will play the upcoming RMR tournament with the same lineup. However, changes are inevitable since the recent update corrected the advantage of “peeking” and snipers will feel more confident.
The rest of the results were fairly predictable. All teams that failed to reach the playoffs were evidently weaker, and counting on their advancement was unlikely. Perhaps NAVI, after two confident tournaments in a row, could have contemplated making it to the Spodek Arena. However, in the deciding match for advancement, they lost to Falcons and went home. Being just one match away from making it to the playoffs was a decent result for the current Heroic roster. G2 monsters could have granted them this opportunity on their own, but they chose to continue the fight for the trophy.
Playoffs
ENCE’s advancement to the quarterfinals of IEM Katowice was a real gift for all Polish fans. Four players from this team came to the tournament as “hosts,” and four-time Major winner gla1ve and former coach of the legendary Polish Virtus.pro – kuben, led them onto the Spodek Arena stage. The whole hall was ecstatic and literally forced the team to put up a fight against Falcons in the match. The encounter was full of intrigue since three players from Falcons had just moved from ENCE, and Magisk and zonic faced gla1ve. As a result, the fairy tale of the “home” fans quickly ended, and Snappi’s team moved forward to face Team Spirit.
Many believed that Dragons were extremely lucky with this outcome. In the semifinals, the hall would root against the offenders of the Polish team and support the young talent – donk. And that’s exactly what happened: a very easy 2-0 for the Russian team, guaranteeing a top-2 finish in one of the most prestigious tournaments in the CS scene.
As for Falcons, such a result might seem average for players with their experience and skill level. However, considering that the team has just formed, and looking back at recent results, reaching the top 4 in Katowice is a positive outcome.
In the other semifinal, MOUZ awaited their opponent. Many had questions about their ranking and whether it was undeservedly high. Frozen’s departure to Faze was also expected to weaken the lineup. However, the team repeatedly made it to the playoffs and quietly climbed to high positions. Specifically in this tournament, they had a bit of luck with the bracket, defeating inconsistent Cloud9, GamerLegion, and ENCE on their way to the semifinals. In the semifinals, they awaited the winner of the G2/Faze matchup.
This match was supposed to be the highlight of the tournament, since each player was a world-class star. Both teams had met several times in the final stages of major tournaments and always delivered exciting shows to the audience. But Faze’s easy 2-0 victory disappointed all Counter-Strike enthusiasts. G2 simply couldn’t perform, losing so quickly that they didn’t even have time to be disappointed.
Faze continued their dominance in the semifinals against MOUZ. Quick 2-0 for karrigan at his favorite tournament and another final in Katowice.
Final
The perfect final, which sparked interest from everyone. Young and daring Team Spirit faced the renowned Faze. Faze had shown good gameplay throughout the tournament, and the replacement of Twistzz with frozen hadn’t weakened their lineup. On the contrary, it revitalized the team and reignited the fire that had been lacking lately.
Dragons were inferior to their opponents in every aspect, yet many still believed in their victory and eagerly awaited a spectacular BO5 showdown. The first two maps justified the title of the IEM Katowice grand final. High speeds, spectacular shooting, unreal kills through smokes from both sides. But donk’s factor and his stunning statistics allowed Spirit to stay ahead by several rounds. The third map was Overpass, Faze’s pick. Dragons hadn’t played this map often in the tournament, and everyone expected the comeback to begin now. The outcome of the map became clear after the first half, which ended 11-1 in favor of Team Spirit.
Team Spirit are the champions of IEM Katowice 2024! A resounding 3-0 victory in the final against Faze. Danil “donk” Kryshkovets not only became the tournament’s best player, winning the MVP from DHL and HLTV. The seventeen-year-old talent became the youngest winner in the history of the tournament and set a record for Rating 2.0 – 1.70! Donk’s statistics and performance make him the most popular and discussed figure not only in the Counter-Strike community but also in the entire gaming industry.
It remains to be seen whether this chemistry, which has formed in the team with the arrival of sh1ro, is capable of building its era. The Dragons played in Katowice with extreme confidence and in such an explosive style that hasn’t been seen in CS for a long time. The upcoming tournaments will answer all questions. Ahead of us is an RMR tournament, and then the Major itself.