Credit: ESL

IEM Katowice 2022 Play-In preview

How will the teams fare at the IEM Katowice Play-in stage?

2022-02-15 | @anespleygg

IEM Katowice is back!

CS:GO returns to Katowice this day as the IEM Katowice Play-in stage begins. This time we’ll be seeing the event with a live crowd, compared to last year’s edition of the tournament which was played online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The IEM Katowice Play-In stage features 16 teams competing in a Double Elimination bracket. With eight spots on the line, this stage of the event will determine the final group stage. When the Play-in stage concludes, 24 teams will be ready to fight to get a share of the heavy prize pool that has $972,000 on the line. Many roster changes have been happening lately. So, how will the teams fare at this event?

Ninjas in Pyjamas vs. Wisla Krakow (#6 vs. #32)

The first game of the IEM Katowice 2022 Play-In will be Ninjas in Pyjamas vs. Wisla Krakow from Poland. NiP is the highest-ranked team in the play-in event and will face off against one of the easiest opponents on paper at this event. The Swedish Ninjas have looked strong and consistent lately, even though their main AWPer in device has been out for several months due to mental health issues. Their young stand-in AWPer, phzy, has managed to impress the entire CS:GO scene with his confidence on the server and has played a key part in some of their recent victories, including a 2-1 win against NAVI at BLAST Premier Spring Groups 2022. Wisla Krakow started off the year on the right foot with a 3-4th place finish at Pinnacle Winter Series 1, beating teams such as FURIA, Tricked, MOUZ NXT, GamerLegion, and BLINK on their way to the semi-final before suffering a tough 1-2 loss against Apeks. However, we still believe that the Polish squad won’t be able to take down NiP and the chances of them securing a spot at the main event are slim.

Copenhagen Flames vs. fnatic (#15 vs. #18)

The Danish squad from Copenhagen Flames started to prove themselves on the international stage at the PGL Stockholm Major, where they stole headlines and made a strong run before being denied a spot in the playoffs. But since then, things have quite slowed down for them and they have settled back down to a decent Tier 2 squad. The Danes are definitely eager to prove themselves again and they should be eyeing an upset. Will fnatic be prepared for that? For ALEX and his troops, this is their first big LAN event together and their core of veterans have a lot of pressure on their backs. They finished off last year on a high note with 1st place victories at DreamHack Open November 2021 and REPUBLEAGUE TIPOS Season 2, but their form in 2022 hasn’t been impressive. It will be exciting to see what fnatic have prepared for this event and if they can get a good start to it by getting a victory in their first match.

GODSENT vs. MOUZ (#13 vs. #33)

MOUZ will, unfortunately, attend this event without Bymas as the 18-year-old is tested positive for COVID-19. Their academy player in Jon “JDC” de Castro will replace Bymas in the lineup for this event.

Bymas out of IEM Katowice after positive Covid-19 test

After losing superstar Ropz to karrigan’s FaZe Clan, the organization decided to bring in France’s CS:GO Kingmaker, NBK. A hall of fame level name in CS:GO with two Major wins under his belt, NBK’s experience might help MOUZ to reach new heights. Will they be able to find success early on even with a stand-in? Or will it take some time for them to become relevant? With an upcoming match against Brazilian GODSENT, who so far have looked good under the leadership of TACO, it will not be an easy task for MOUZ.

FaZe Clan vs. Sprout (#9 vs. #21)

Karrigan’s troops are not only heavy favorites for this match but also the whole tournament. FaZe Clan impressed at their most recent tournament, BLAST Premier Spring Groups 2022, where they finished on top and secured a spot in the Spring Final alongside OG and Team Vitality. Their acquisition of Ropz has so far helped them improve on the server and the early signs are pointing towards a new superpower team in this season. We believe that Sprout stands no chance against a FaZe roster that is filled with their kind of LAN experience.

OG vs. Renegades (#11 vs. #63)

OG has so far looked like a squad that is filled with new motivation after the organization brought in Serbian IGL, nexa. His playstyle seems to fit perfectly for OG and their flawless showing at BLAST Premier Spring Groups 2022 just confirms this. A comfortable 2-0 victory should be on the horizon for them. As for Renegades, we believe they are unlikely to win any games here at this tough event.

ENCE vs. Entropiq (#23 vs. #10)

Recently, ENCE acquired the former FPX rifler better known as maden to complete their roster after benching doto. The new acquisition should help ENCE to reach new heights this season as maden brings in a lot of firepower and aggression, something which gives their captain, Snappi, access to even more tools and different kinds of game plans. This match is expected to be a competitive one and Entropiq will do everything in their power to try and enter the top team’s status they have been on the verge of for so long.

Maden: I’m the last piece of the puzzle for ENCE to break into the very top

BIG vs. Movistar Riders (#12 vs. #27)

The Spaniards from Movistar Riders took Complexity’s spot at this event after positive COVID-19 results blocked Grim and company from traveling to the event.

Complexity withdraws from IEM Katowice

Easy win for BIG? BIG's CS:GO team has traditionally not been the best team at LAN events, but against an opponent who has begun the year in a disappointing fashion like Movistar Riders, they should be clear favorites. The Germans from BIG have improved a lot so far in 2022 and their teamwork on the server has looked promising. We believe that the German side will have no problems at defeating Movistar Riders, who currently are hoping to bounce back and finally find consistency after beginning the year poorly.

Astralis vs. MIBR (#7 vs. #35)

Will the Danes make an impression at this event in Poland? Astralis are heading into IEM Katowice hungry to prove that they can show a much higher level of Counter-Strike than they have since their 3rd place at BLAST Premier Fall Final 2021. This event will be Astralis chance to prove that they actually can bounce after some of their early exits at recent tournaments. If the players can step up individually with good performances, Astralis could easily go on to surprise in Poland. As for MIBR they also have a good chance to prove that they can compete with some of the strongest teams in the world. However, it may still be too early to expect this from them as their roster still needs to grow teamwise.

You can watch all the matches from IEM Katowice live here on Pley.gg. Make sure to visit our news site daily during the event to keep up with all the latest interviews, results, and much more.

The Play-in stage features the following teams:

Ninjas in Pyjamas
Wisla Krakow
Copenhagen Flames
fnatic
GODSENT
MOUZ
Sprout
FaZe Clan
OG
Renegades
ENCE
Entropiq
Complexity
BIG
Astralis
MIBR

IEM Katowice 2022 Play-in matchups

Date: Feb 15th – Feb 16th 2022
Prize pool: $28,000
Teams: 16
Location: Katowice, Poland

Opening round:

Today