The stage is set for IEM Katowice 2020. A total of 16 teams will battle it out in front of the sold-out Spodek arena for their chance to be written in the CSGO history books.
In this piece, you will be able to find all there is about IEM Katowice 2020 which will include format, schedule, live stream, teams attending and more.
IEM Katowice 2020 Format & Schedule
Just like every other event, Intel Extreme Masters Katowice will be split into two main parts, group stage and the playoffs.
Group Stage (February 24-27)
16 teams are split into two groups of 8. Keep in mind that we are talking about GSL groups here which basically means that if you lose two matches, you are out.
When it comes to seeding, IEM decided to use the ESL CS:GO World Rankings. On top of that, all of the matches played in the group stage will be played in the best of 3 format.
Group A:
- Astralis
- Cloud9
- NiP
- Vitality
- Natus Vincere
- FaZe
- Renegades
- Fnatic
Group B:
- Mousesports
- TYLOO
- 100 Thieves
- G2
- Liquid
- Virtus.pro
- MAD Lions
- Evil Geniuses
Furthermore, only the best three teams from each group will advance through to the playoffs. Group stage winners will advance directly to the semifinals which means that they will have 24 hours more to rest and reset themselves.
Second-placed teams will also advance to the playoffs, but this time around, they will be high seeds in the playoffs. Last but not least, third-placed teams will also grab a spot in the playoffs, but only as low seeds in quarterfinals.
Playoffs (February 28 - March 1)
Truth be told, playoffs are straightforward. A single-elimination bracket has been put in place. If you are not familiar with the term, let us help. With this format, there are no second chances for anyone here in Poland. If a team loses one game, they are eliminated.
Quarterfinals and semifinals will be played in the best-of-3 format. However, the grand final will be a brawl where we will see two CSGO teams battle it out in a best-of-5 series.
IEM Katowice Prize Pool
We all know how popular IEM Katowice events are. This time around, we will see a total of $500,000 split amongst the 16 teams. Find the full IEM Katowice 2020 prize pool breakdown below.
- 1st - $250,000
- 2nd - $100,000
- 3rd-4th - $40,000
- 5th-6th - $15,000
- 7th-8th - $7,000
- 9th-12th - $4,000
- 13th-16th - $2,500
Where to Watch IEM Katowice 2020 - Live Stream
Once again, IEM Katowice will be broadcasted on twitch.tv, the most popular streaming platform in the world.
You can find two alternatives here. If you want to watch this event on the original streaming platform, you can find a twitch link here.
IEM Katowice 2020 Teams - Who are the Favorites?
All of the top contenders are attending this CSGO tournament which means that we are in for a war.
Will Astralis be able to bounce back? From the betting standpoint, every single bookmaker out there is heavily favoring Astralis. You can triple your money if you decide to place a bet on the Danish CSGO roster to win IEM Katowice 2020. However, their form is a bit shaky right now which will make this tournament more exciting.
Alongside Astralis, teams such as Natus Vincere, Vitality and mousesports are all capable of pulling a surprise.
IEM Katowice 2020 teams:
- MAD Lions
- Cloud9
- Renegades
- TYLOO
- Virtus.pro
- Vitality
- FaZe
- G2
- NiP
- Natus Vincere
- Liquid
- Evil Geniuses
- 100 Thieves
- Mousesports
- Astralis
- Fnatic
As for the big underdogs. Liquid is nowhere to be found. Granted, they looked really poor in the last couple of months. From our perspective, this will be a great tournament for them to bounce back.
Lastly, a couple of teams fought hard in order to play in the Spodek Arena. Cloud9, MAD Lions, Renegades, TYLOO, FaZe and G2 will try to cause an upset.
To be honest, both FaZe and G2 have a legit chance to make it out of their group, but the future is not bright for the other teams that qualified, at least not in this event.