IEM Katowice CS2 2024: Storylines & Subjects
The first ESL Championship event of 2024 is set to begin shortly with the IEM Katowice 2024 Play-in stage kicking off, kickstarting the many IEM Katowice storylines surrounding the tournament. With so many burning questions from the community, we’re taking a closer look at five of the most interesting storylines, for teams and players, heading into IEM Katowice 2024 to prepare you for the tournament
If you want to bet on some IEM Katowice 2024 games, make sure to check out our IEM Katowice betting guide beforehand.
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Vitality and FaZe Fight for Gold
Two teams have elevated themselves above the competition in CS2 thus far. Those two squads are Vitality and FaZe.
Team Vitality found their footing at the end of 2023, winning the BLAST Fall Final and the BLAST World Final dominantly.
Meanwhile, FaZe were unstoppable at the inception of CS2, claiming the trophy at four consecutive events (one online) and finishing second in the rest.
According to CS2 odds from various providers, Vitality and FaZe are the two favourites to leave Poland with the IEM Katowice trophy in on their shelves.
It will be interesting to see how their rivalry develops in this tournament and the next couple of months – one of the leading IEM Katowice 2024 storylines.
Can G2 Defend their Katowice Throne?
This time last year, G2 were considered to be one of the best CS2 teams the world has ever seen.
The international super team was tearing through opponents with their scary firepower and immaculate confidence.
Firing on all cylinders, this great run of form netted G2 their maiden IEM Katowice trophy and their first ESL Championship event title.
Now they’ll be faced with a tougher task of defending said trophy. With teams like Vitality and FaZe looking hot right now, it will be a shock to see G2 lift the trophy in the Spodek in 2024.
ENCE’s Debut on Home Turf
It has been a while since we saw a competitive Polish-majority roster at IEM Katowice, but here we are.
The most recent winter break was full of surprising transfer moves, which shook up the CS2 roster landscape.
One of the more intriguing squads that came to be is this lineup, consisting of four Poles (three formerly of 9INE) and legendary Danish in-game leader Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander.
While the combination of players on this ENCE roster might not make sense to some, it’s a group of very talented players who can cause some damage at this tournament.
Considering IEM Katowice is their home event, this is an interesting IEM Katowice storyline to consider when partaking in CS2 betting.
ZywOo’s Best Chance to Win IEM Katowice
Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut is undoubtedly one of the best CS2 players to ever touch the mouse and keyboard.
During the Frenchman’s illustrious career so far, he’s won multiple tier-one trophies, including the BLAST.tv Paris Major, and received a myriad of individual accolades.
However, the ESL Championship event trophies have eluded him, including the IEM Katowice title.
With his team at the peak of its power, 2024 is the best chance for ZywOo to expand his resume further and add another prestigious trophy to his cabinet.
Snax Returns to IEM Katowice After a Decade
10 years after his emotional victory in the Spodek, veteran Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski returns to IEM Katowice as the in-game leader of GamerLegion.
Snax’s attendance at this year’s event is a testament to his longevity and dedication to remain at the top of his game.
While his team is not among the favourites to go all the way, he will certainly have the extra motivation to bring the best out of his teammates and make a deep run in Katowice.
This is one of the favourite IEM Katowice storylines for those familiar with the history of Counter-Strike.
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