IEM Katowice returns in 2024

Between the RMR qualifiers and BLAST Premier spring groups, most Counter-Strike 2 rosters have already played a few official games heading into the 2024 season. Now they will have to keep working, as IEM Katowice, LAN tier1 returns.

The IEM Katowice is one of ESL’s most important tournaments. and is about to kick off this 2024, it is also one of the most prestigious Counter-Strike titles, with a huge prize pool of $1M and, for the winner, a guaranteed invitation to IEM Cologne and the BLAST Premier World Final.

Format and teams

IEM Katowice 2024 is divided into three phases: Play-In, group stage and knockout stages.. In total, 24 teams will compete for the trophy, but only six will earn the right to play in front of the Spodek Arena crowd in February.

The Play-In phase will feature 16 teams divided into two-legged playoffs. These teams qualified for the IEM Katowice Play-In phase from their respective regions according to the ESL rankings. Eight teams will exit and join the eight invited teams in the group stage.

The 16 teams that move on will play another double-elimination playoff in two groups, with the top three from each group making it to the arena for the playoffs. This final elimination group will determine who will win the Katowice trophy and etch their name in the history of the competition.

Below is the full list of invitees, their qualification method and where they will begin their journey at IEM Katowice 2024.

Awards

The competition will have $1M to be shared. The champion will win $400,000, plus a direct invitation to the second biggest ESL event in 2024, the IEM Cologne, as well as the BLAST Premier World Final. But that’s not all, because he will also score a mark at the Intel Grand Slam. On the other hand, the rest of the teams will also be able to grab a share of the prize money.

Calendar

All schedules will be in Central Time (CT) and are subject to change. As of today, only the Play-In schedules are available. They will begin on Wednesday, January 31.

8:30h – Cloud9 vs Rebels and Eternal Fire vs BetrBoom
9:30h – Heroic vs Astralis and ENCE vs BIG
10:30h – FURIA vs The MongolZ and Spirit vs Apeks
11:30 – GamerLegion vs M80 and Rooster vs Virtus.pro