Main takeaways from IEM Katowice 2023

IEM Katowice 2023 has come to an end. The championship was a real fairy tale for the winner, who broke his tradition of losing in big finals and finally lifted the trophy above his head. Indeed, G2 Esports held a strong championship, losing only one map during the tournament - and that one in the grand final against Heroic. But at the same time, the event gave rise to other discussions that will help characterize the current trends on the scene and assess the prospects for many teams. Therefore, we propose to recall the past championship and highlight a few stories that deserve attention.

G2 Esports dictates a new meta

Perhaps, at the end of last year, when G2 Esports did not get to the Brazilian Major, everyone began to bury the team and recorded HooXi as one of the main losers. However, at the very end of the season, the Samurai won BLAST Premier: World Final 2022, although they left enough questions.

However, at the beginning of the new year, G2 Esports finally destroyed all doubts. The team took IEM Katowice 2023 clean, outplaying all direct competitors. More importantly, Swani's men actually began to dictate a new meta - fast, aggressive and tied up on reading the opponent.

We can say that we have an improved version of last year's iteration of FaZe Clan, but in its current form, G2 Esports seems to be an even more tuned team for the opponent, able to pull out dead rounds. Moreover, the team has repeatedly shown its ability to cling, winning enough rounds from the "dead" minority.

Thus, a new king has appeared in the current meta — G2 Esports. And if the team continues to push so hard, then we can see another era where only one member dominates.

Heroic is in perfect order, despite the crumpled start

We should also note the confident performance of the Heroic team. The Danish team had an ambiguous start to the new season, and at the end of the last one they failed at BLAST Premier: World Final 2022.

However, during IEM Katowice 2023, Xizt's players began to gain momentum. And if at first the team got a controversial victory over Complexity Gaming, then Heroic went through the bracket further and got a direct ticket to the semi-finals. Here the Danes again performed at the level, destroying NAVI on two maps. And, despite the defeat in the grand final, the team was able to prove that it is still in perfect order and can adapt to the circumstances.

The North American scene lives on

Another conclusion that we can draw from the results of the championship refers us to the North American scene, which has actually been buried in the last three years. If Team Liquid gave hope at the end of last season, now the Complexity Gaming team has joined the cause. In fact, the North Americans were the main discovery of the tournament, as they stopped one step away from reaching the playoffs of IEM Katowice 2023, beating many strong opponents along the way.

In turn, Team Liquid quietly reached the semi-finals, in which they tried to fight G2 Esports. However, the key point is the tournament path of the "liquids", who got some difficult, but at the same time important victories over Team Spirit and FaZe Clan, and also outplayed Vitality in the quarterfinals. Thus, we can conclude that North America is trying to return to the forefront, and worthy representatives of the region are trying to hold on to major tournaments.

NAVI is mired in experiments

Disappointing conclusions can be drawn from the performance of the NAVI team. "Born to Win" got off to a very bright start in the championship, getting two victories over Cloud9 and Team Liquid. However, further the Ukrainian team began to have difficulties that can be traced for a long time.

If the defeat from G2 Esports can still be omitted, then the semi-final match against Heroic will be very indicative. Here, for some reason, NAVI decided to experiment by changing several positions. As a result, the team failed the game and was left without a final, while s1mple, the main star of "Born to Win", went over his teammates in an interview.

From all this it follows that NAVI cannot find itself and is actively experimenting. However, the link between npl and b1t does not work yet, and the individual play of absolutely all team members is under a question mark.

The era of FaZe Clan fades into the background

The past championship also clearly made it clear that in its current form, FaZe Clan can no longer fight for big victories. First of all, the team does not try to change, relying on old methods. Secondly, the individual form of the players, if not on the decline, but no longer helps them pull out the most difficult situations.

As a result, the European team suffered two defeats at the group stage, both of which were significant. In the first case, FaZe Clan did not come up with anything in the game against G2 Esports, in fact, giving the green light to the new meta. In the second case, the team lost to Team Liquid, where they signed under their inability to play under pressure.

As a result, FaZe Clan remained a team capable of outplaying opponents of the Team Spirit level in the class. However, with the growth of competition, RobbaN's wards no longer seem to be the strongest. And one gets the feeling that in the future we would stop remembering FaZe Clan as a favorite of any championship.

Unexpected failures from among the leaders

IEM Katowice 2023 was also marked by unexpected leader failures. Of course, many of the favorites would still have remained below the playoffs, but the current circumstances have led some teams to a situation close to failure.

First of all, we need to remember Cloud9, which could not adapt to the changes in the roster, and at the same time became a laughing stock after the defeat by IHC Esports. The MOUZ team should also be included here. If in the first game the "mice" lost to OG, then the team lost to Complexity Gaming, which actually doomed itself to a return to the starting point that started after last year's success at the major.

The tournament didn't go well for Ninjas in Pajamas either, as the team showed a completely toothless game in the group stage, suffering two quick defeats. A little more was expected from fnatic, but the team decided otherwise, also losing to Complexity Gaming.

Thus, many teams that seemed to be among the leaders and could compete for the distribution of places in the playoffs failed at IEM Katowice 2023 and left many questions.

IEM Katowice 2023 was held from 1 to 12 February in Katowice at the Spodek Arena. As part of the championship, 24 teams from the CIS, Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and Oceania fought for a total prize pool of $1,000,000, as well as a ticket to IEM Cologne 2023 for the winner.

IEM Katowice 2023 Results

• 1st place: G2 Esports — $400,000 + trip to IEM Cologne 2023
• 2nd place: Heroic — $180,000
• 3rd-4th place: NAVI and Team Liquid — $80,000
• 5th-6th place: Outsiders and Vitality - $40,000
• 7th-8th place: FaZe Clan and Complexity Gaming — $24,000
• 9th-12th place: IHC Esports, OG, fnatic and Team Spirit — $16,000
• 13th-16th place: BIG, Ninjas in Pajamas, MOUZ and Cloud9 — $10,000
• 17th-20th place: MIBR, ENCE, Sprout and FURIA - $4,500
• 21st-24th place: paiN Gaming, Evil Geniuses, Permitta Esports and Grayhound Gaming — $2,500

Counter-Strike, affectionately known as CS, has long been a cornerstone of competitive online gaming. What began as a mod for Half-Life has blossomed into a global phenomenon, boasting millions of dedicated players and a thriving esports community. In the realm of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO), players often turn to the best CSGO trading sites to enhance their in-game collections. These platforms provide a virtual marketplace for the buying, selling, and trading of items like weapon skins and stickers. The search for the best CSGO trading sites has become an integral part of the CS experience, offering players a trusted means to expand their inventory.