Hang onto your Dragonlores, Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) esports fans! The iconic and long-running tournament series is back and bigger than ever. Yes, IEM Katowice 2025 kicks off with the Stage 1 opening matches starting on 29 January 2025, and I’m already trying to figure out how I’ll make my fantasy picks.
The announcement from tournament organizer ESL on social media (via the embedded tweet via X below) shows the Stage 1 matchups, where 16 teams will compete for only eight spots in Stage 2.
In case you couldn’t see the matchups via the tweet above, I’ve typed them out below.
All Round 1 IEM Katowice Matchups:
- Team Liquid vs. HEROIC
- Complexity vs. Eternal Fire
- 3DMax vs. FlyQuest
- Astralis vs. MIBR
- paiN Gaming vs. Virtus.pro
- GamerLegion vs. SAW
- Wildcard Gaming vs. BIG
- Imperial Female vs. FURIA Esports
The format is single-elimination with best-of-three matches. Ouch!
Stage 1 used to be called the “Play-In” stage at previous IEM Katowice events. Of course, the teams compete for a Group Stage spot. There’s a lot on the line, and everyone at least wants to make it to the main event. The top six teams from each group in the Group Stage will make it through to the Playoffs, which will be held at the Spodek Arena in Katowice, Poland.
There’s a massive $1 million prize pool on the line, so there’s no doubt in my mind that IEM Katowice 2025, from the opening matches to the grand finale, will be a feast for CS2 esports fans across the globe.
