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NaVi vs Astralis At ESL Pro League Season 17

It’s misery for the fans of Astralis and Natus Vincere as their teams have been relegated to the mid bracket of ESL Pro League Season 17. Instead of these two, it’s actually ENCE and Forze at the playoffs from group D. But before, NaVi and Astralis even think of making it to the playoffs, they have to get rid of the other. Find out how the series turned out of NaVi vs Astralis.

NaVi vs Astralis

Rosters

Natus Vincere

  • Oleksandr ‘s1mple‘ Kostyljev
  • Denis ‘electroNic‘ Sharipov
  • Ilya ‘Perfecto‘ Zalutskiy
  • Valerij ‘b1t‘ Vakhovsjkyj
  • Andrij ‘npl‘ Kukharsjkyj

Astralis

  • Andreas ‘Xyp9x‘ Højsleth
  • Lukas ‘gla1ve‘ Rossander
  • Benjamin ‘blameF‘ Bremer
  • Nicolai ‘dev1ce‘ Reedtz
  • Christian ‘Buzz‘ Andersen

Map Picks & Bans

  • Astralis removed Anubis
  • Natus Vincere removed Vertigo
  • Astralis picked Ancient
  • Natus Vincere picked Overpass
  • Astralis removed Mirage
  • Natus Vincere removed Nuke
  • Inferno was left over

The Series

Map 1 (Ancient)

Ancient was the first map of the group D NaVi vs Astralis series. Astralis started off their map pick just the way they wanted. It was blameF who was taking frag after from at the start of the first half. They won the first three rounds straight but NaVi responded right after with three rounds of their own. The first half kept going back and forth like this but eventually ended up in favor of Astralis as the scoreboard read 9-6. On attack, NaVi simply bounced back. They picked up eight rounds straight without even flinching for a second- much of the credit going to electroNic and Perfecto. NaVi soon wrapped up Ancient 16-11 in their favor despite being down two rounds in the first half.

Map 2 (Overpass)

It was now time to play on the map pick of Natus Vincere. Astralis started off their opponents’ map pick their way by winning the two pistol rounds. NaVi soon responded by picking up two rounds of their own, thus leveling the score. However, what followed later was total annihilation by Astralis. Astralis then went on to win… not one, not two, not even six but eleven rounds at one go. They made NaVi look disoriented and helpless throughout the first half. NaVi didn’t even get the plant down on four different rounds in the first half. The first half ended 13-2 in favor of Astralis. There was not a lot to witness in the second half. Astralis just needed three more rounds and they picked it up within four rounds. The map scores were leveled as Astralis won the second map 16-3.

Map 3 (Inferno)

It was now time for the deciding map- Inferno. Astralis yet again started off the map their way by not only winning the pistols but following it up with two more rounds. NaVi responded but only for a while as they won two rounds. Three more rounds were picked up Astralis as they looked to widen the gap. A shift in momentum then took place as NaVi tried their level best to reduce the gap in the first half. It ended 8-7 in favor of Astralis. The second half started with NaVi putting their game faces on as they won four straight rounds. While Astralis did try their level best to put a stop to the NaVi show, it was too little, too late. Thanks to s1mple and electroNic, they brawled their way into picking up the map 16-12.

Not all hopes are lost for Astralis, however. They have now been relegated to the last chance bracket. It’s a different story for Natus Vincere, however. They will be facing Rare Atom tonight for a chance at moving into the mid bracket final. It will surely be an interesting sight to watch as the two teams clash later on tonight.

 

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Vitality vs OG At ESL Pro League Season 17

It was Vitality vs OG at the Upper Bracket Semifinals of Group C at ESL Pro League Season 17. A loss for either team meant being relegated to the mid bracket from the upper bracket. So, which team was forced to take the harder route? Find out only at Gamopo!

Vitality vs OG

Rosters

Let’s take a look at the rosters of Team Vitality and OG.

Vitality

  • Dan ‘apEX‘ Madesclaire
  • Mathieu ‘ZywOo‘ Herbaut
  • Audric ‘JACKZ‘ Jug
  • Emil ‘Magisk‘ Reif
  • Lotan ‘Spinx‘ Giladi

OG

  • Shahar ‘flameZ‘ Shushan
  • Adam ‘NEOFRAG‘ Zouhar
  • Maciej ‘F1KU‘ Miklas
  • Abdulkhalik ‘degster‘ Gasanov
  • Nikolaj ‘niko‘ Kristensen

Map Picks & Bans

  • OG removed Nuke
  • Vitality removed Ancient
  • OG picked Anubis
  • Vitality picked Vertigo
  • OG removed Overpass
  • Vitality removed Mirage
  • Inferno was left

The Series

The Vitality vs OG series was a best of 3 with the maps being Anubis Vertigo and Inferno. Let’s see how it turned out.

Map 1 (Anubis)

Anubis started with OG on terrorist side as they looked towards making the most out of their map pick. But to their demise, it was Team Vitality that won the first few pistol rounds. While OG did manage to respond on the third round, Vitality kept making the right calls. Vitality won four rounds straight as they set up a massive gap against OG. The first half ended 10-5 in favor of Team Vitality. In the second half, it was now Team Vitality starting on the terrorist side. We weren’t able to witness much of the second half since Vitality thought it was in their best interest to finish off the map. They took just 6 rounds to finish the map 16-5. Advantage to Team Vitality!

Map 2 (Vertigo)

Vitality started their map pick of Vertigo on the terrorist side. While OG did lose the first pistol round, they made amends in the second. But it was just another case of Vitality domination as they kept picking up rounds with ease. The first half ended 9-6 in favor of Vitality. The second half saw Team Vitality starting it off strong. It was ZywOo being ZywOo as he kept picking up frags and clutching for his team. In the end, Team Vitality picked up the second map as well on a scoreline of 16-9.

With this series win, Team Vitality are now off to the playoffs. The two teams will be facing each other soon. That should be quite the exciting matchup! Wonder who will win- guess we will have to find out!

 

 

 

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Fnatic vs LOUD At VCT 2023: Lock In

After almost three weeks in the tournament, we had our two finalists of VCT 2023: Lock In. It was Fnatic vs LOUD at the grand finals of VCT 2023: Lock In. Did the winners of Valorant Champions 2022 pick up another title or did Fnatic complete their dream run? Let’s find out more!

Fnatic vs LOUD

Rosters

LOUD

  • Erick ‘aspas‘ Santos
  • Felipe ‘Less‘ Basso
  • Matias ‘saadhak‘ Delipetro
  • Cauan ‘cauanzin‘ Pereira
  • Arthur ‘tuyz‘ Vieira

Fnatic

  • Jake ‘Boaster’ Howlett
  • Nikita ‘Derke‘ Sirmitev
  • Emir ‘Alfajer‘ Ali Beder
  • Leo ‘Leo‘ Jannesson
  • Timofey ‘Chronicle‘ Khromov

Map Picks & Bans

  • LOUD banned Haven
  • FNC banned Pearl
  • LOUD picked Ascent
  • FNC picked Fracture
  • LOUD picked Split
  • FNC picked Lotus
  • Icebox remained

The Series

Map 1 (Ascent)

Ascent started with LOUD on attack. But it was Fnatic that picked up the first two pistol rounds with a retake on the first. LOUD responded but only for a while as they won the next two rounds. Fnatic then picked up the next five rounds including two successful retakes. The first half ended 8-4 in favor of Fnatic. It was LOUD at the start of the second half that won the first two pistols. But Fnatic kept their cool and closed out their first map 13-8. Eventually, it was Fnatic winning LOUD’s first map pick. It was Leo that put up a stellar performance for Fnatic vs LOUD in the first map.

Map 2 (Fracture)

Fracture was the second map in the series of LOUD vs Fnatic. Fnatic, yet again, picked up the first two rounds starting on attack. The first half was crazy with both teams not allowing the other to consistently win rounds. The first half of the second map ended 6-6. The second half started in favor of Fnatic yet again as they won the pistols. LOUD could show little resistance in the second half as Fnatic kept on seeing out rounds. The second map ended 13-7 in favor of Fnatic as they were now up 2-0 in the series. Just one more map win and they win the title!

Map 3 (Split)

It was LOUD on attack again as the match started on Split. LOUD showed nothing but resilience and courage in the first half. While Fnatic tried to break them down, LOUD seemed to be formidable. The first half ended 7-5 in favor of LOUD. LOUD maintained their consistency winning the first three rounds of the second half as well including two defuses. Fnatic tried to make a comeback into the map but it was too little, too late. LOUD put down a few more successful defuses and won the map 13-9. It was none other than Less that put up a show on Split.

Map 4 (Lotus)

It was time for the battleground to be Valorant’s latest map. At this point, Fnatic had been accustomed to winning the opening pistol rounds. And they did it yet again! But this time, they followed it up winning round three too. LOUD, however, decided to put their game faces on. They won six rounds straight with absolute ease. Fnatic could barely respond as the first half finished 7-5 in favor of LOUD. Fnatic started the second half well, leveling the score at 7-7 by winning the pistols. But this time, it was LOUD that taught Fnatic a thing or two about retakes. Half of the rounds they won in the second half were retakes. Eventually, LOUD won the map 13-8. It was now onto Icebox- the decider map.

Map 5 (Icebox)

When it was needed the most, LOUD won the first two pistols on Icebox. Fnatic managed to win the third round by resisting a plant from LOUD. But it was not nearly enough as LOUD steamrolled over Fnatic in the first half. LOUD won the first half on a scoreline of 9-3. LOUD started the second half winning the pistols as well. But then, the unthinkable happened. Never in LOUD’s wildest dreams could they think of a Fnatic comeback. Fnatic screamed aggression as they won not one… not two…. but nine rounds straight. With LOUD picking up a much-needed round, it was now time for the only overtime of the night.

LOUD started on attack this time in overtime. In the first round of overtime, both Derke and Aspas made a statement but it was Leo that had the last laugh killing aspas and winning the first round. It was Fnatic on attack this time. A calm and collected push into the B site saw Fnatic bulldozing over the LOUD roster. And with that, Fnatic won Icebox and consequently, the VCT 2023: Lock In.

For Chronicle, it’s the first time ever that a player has lifted two Valorant trophies. Nothing but ecstasy for Boaster as well as he finally lifts up a trophy.

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G2 vs MAD Lions At LEC 2023 Winter

The pinnacle of the EMEA region of League of Legends sees G2 facing MAD Lions at LEC 2023 Winter grand finals. Will G2 pick up their 10th LEC title and retain their European dominance? Or are we about to witness the roar of MAD Lions? Let’s find out how G2 vs MAD Lions turned out in the grand finals of LEC 2o23 Winter!

G2 vs MAD Lions

Rosters

G2

  • Sergen “BrokenBlade” Çelik (Top)
  • Martin “Yike” Sundelin (Jungle)
  • Rasmus “Caps” Borregaard Winther (Mid)
  • Steven “Hans sama” Liv (Bot)
  • Mihael “Mikyx” Mehle (Support)

MAD Lions

  • Kim “Chasy” Dong-hyeon (Top)
  • Javier “Elyoya” Prades (Jungle)
  • Yasin “Nisqy” Dinçer (Mid)
  • Matyáš “Carzzy” Orság (Bot)
  • Zdravets “Hylissang” Iliev Galabov (Support)

The Series

Match 1

Champ Picks
G2
  • BrokenBlade- Kled
  • Yike- Maokai
  • Caps- Cassiopeia
  • Hans Sama- Varus
  • Mikyx- Heimderdinger
MAD Lions
  • Chasy- Jayce
  • Elyoya- Gragas
  • Nisqy- Viktor
  • Carzzy- Sivir
  • Hylissang- Ashe
Highlights Of Match 1

The first match started in favor of G2 as Caps secured the first kill thanks to some clever Sap placement by Yike. Yike kept impressing in his first ever final as he secured G2’s second kill of the match. MAD Lions responded picking up two crucial kills of Caps and Yike. The mid-game was pretty much dominated by G2 as they kept farming kills and objectives. They continued to make waves in game 1 as they picked up the Baron in the 22nd minute. In the first game of G2 vs MAD Lions it was Caps that reminded everyone why he’s the best in Europe as he kept picking up one kill after the other. Not much was left to be said as G2 picked up the first game on the cusp of the 26th minute.

Match 2

Champ Picks
G2
  • BrokenBlade- Jax
  • Yike- Gragas
  • Caps- Kled
  • Hans Sama- Samira
  • Mikyx- Jarvan IV
MAD Lions
  • Chasy- Fiora
  • Elyoya- Sejuani
  • Nisqy- Cassiopeia
  • Carzzy- Varus
  • Hylissang- Braum
Highlights Of Match 2

In the second match of G2 vs MAD Lions, G2 got first blood by picking up the kill of Carzzy. Hans Sama then went on to kill Hylissang too making it a double kill in the 4th minute. Nisqy could respond but ever so slightly as he made sure G2 trades in the live of Mikyx to Nisqy. In the 7th minute, G2’s gank at the bot lane failed as MAD Lions responded by killing both Mikyx and Yike. Soon after, an all-out fight in the middle brought in 4 kills for G2.

The mid-game was G2 dominance yet again as they focused on objectives and took kills when there was an opportunity. A 19th minute fight saw Elyoya and Chasy run for their lives back to the base as their teammates conceded. G2 further cemented their ruthlessness by securing the Baron in the 22nd minute. A double inhibitor pick up was also secured around 25 minutes in. MAD Lions couldn’t defend any more as G2 picked up their second match before the clock read 30 minutes and were now one win away from their 10th LEC title.

Match 3

Champ Picks
G2
  • BrokenBlade- Olaf
  • Yike- Vi
  • Caps- Taliyah
  • Hans Sama- Sivir
  • Mikyx- Heimerdinger
MAD Lions
  • Chasy- Jax
  • Elyoya- Wukong
  • Nisqy- Gragas
  • Carzzy- Zeri
  • Hylissang- Yuumi
Highlights Of Match 3

In the 4th minute, MAD Lions picked up their first kill, slaying BrokenBlade and then killed Yike. MAD continued to dominate the early game as Elyoya yet again picked up the kill of BrokenBlade. The match was going neck and neck but MAD successfully took down the first tower at the 11th minute. By mid-game, G2 gained the lead on MAD Lions cornering their players quite a few times. While MAD Lions did maintain a gold lead till around 30 minutes, G2 was constantly hunting down objectives. Doing so, they had narrowed the lead and eventually caught on. From then on, it was all G2. At the cusp of the 41st minute, the deciding teamfight took place of the third match of G2 vs MAD. G2 finished off all of MAD Lions’ 5 members and went straight in for the nexus. Series to G2 and 10th title confirmed!

With their newest title bagged, the G2 League Of Legends roster should be pumped heading into LEC Spring 2023. The tournament will be kicking off in around 2 weeks’ time.

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Global Esports Valorant Roster’s VCT Debut At LOCK//IN

The Indian franchise team, Global Esports’ Valorant roster performed at an S-Tier tournament for the first time. The SEA representatives faced Team Vitality in a round of 32 match of Group Omega. How did the Asian team perform and did they meet the expectations? Find out!

Global Esports vs Team Vitality

It was an Asia vs Europe affair as  the Valorant roster of Global Esports faced Team Vitality. This was the first match of Global Esports at a tournament of this scale. On the other hand, Vitality is an organization that is well accustomed to playing top tournaments. Both the teams have fresh rosters with new recruits, so it was surely exciting to see the two teams clash.

Map Picks & Bans

  • GE bans Ascent
  • VIT bans Icebox
  • GE picks Split
  • VIT picks Pearl
  • GE bans Haven
  • VIT bans Fracture
  • Lotus remains

Rosters

Let’s take a look at the lineups of the two teams of last night.

Global Esports

  • Jordan “AYRIN” He (IGL)
  • Ganesh “SkRossi” Gangadhar
  • Kim “t3xture” Na-ra
  • Park “Bazzi” Jun-ki
  • Cahya “Monyet” Nugraha

Team Vitality

  • Santeri “BONECOLD” Sassi (IGL)
  • Jokūbas “ceNder” Labutis
  • Michał “MOLSI” Łącki
  • Tomas “Destrian” Linikas
  • Karel “Twisten” Ašenbrener

The Series

Let’s check out how the series went between Team Vitality and Global Esports at Valorant Lock In.

Map 1 (Split)

The first map of the series started with Global Esports on defense. They won the first round with a successful defuse. But Vitality didn’t seem to be bothered as they picked up the next four rounds with ease. Global Esports showed little resistance picking up only two other rounds for the rest of the first half. The first half ended 9-3 in favor of Team Vitality. Global started the second half winning the first pistol round too- a ray of hope for the Asian fans. But Vitality buried all of those hopes and dreams for Global Esports as they didn’t take long to reach 13 round wins. The first map ended 13-4 in favor of Team Vitality.

Map 2 (Pearl)

Pearl began with Global Esports now on attack. This time, they managed to pick up the first two pistol rounds showing quite the determination. Vitality then responded picking up two rounds of their own as the scores leveled. Vitality started to pick up pace on defense and the first half ended 7-5 in favor of the boys from Europe. The second half started in favor of Global Esports yet again as they again won both the pistol rounds. From that point onwards, Global Esports looked like a more refined roster as they kept dominating Team Vitality. They got down a bunch of defuses in the second half as they picked up the second map.

With the map score being 1-1, it was now time for the decider. Can the Indian organization cause a Global upset (see what we did there?) or can Vitality pick up the expected result?

Map 3 (Lotus)

Global Esports just seemed to be dominated pistol rounds as they started off Lotus winning the first two rounds yet again. But Vitality responded when it was needed the most. They showed everyone who’s the boss with sheer firepower picking up round after round in the first half. The first half ended 8-4 in favor of Vitality. The second half started with Global yet again picking up the pistol rounds. And while they were hoping to gain some momentum, Team Vitality turned the game around again. They took the next four rounds without pause as they closed the decider map 13-6.

With the series closed, Team Vitality moves onto the round of 16 of VCT Lock In.

With their win in this series, Vitality aren’t the only victors of the night. Their next round opponent, Leviathan also picked up a 2-0 win over ZETA. The round of 16 also welcomes two other teams- FUT Esports and 100 Thieves. Team Vitality will be facing Leviathan tomorrow night in the round of 16.

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VCT Lock In: DRX vs C9 & EG vs Talon Predictions

We are just hours away from the Round of 16 matches with DRX vs C9 and EG vs Talon Esports. Who will be joining NRG and LOUD at the quarter finals of VCT Lock In 2023? Today, we predict the two winners of the night as we move towards the business end of the tournament.

Round Of 16 Predictions

DRX vs Cloud9

South Korean Giants will be facing the representatives of NA on our first match of the night.

Probable Lineups

DRX
  • Kim “stax” Gu-taek (IGL)
  • Goo “Rb” Sang-Min
  • Kim “Zest” Gi-seok
  • Yu “BuZz” Byung-chul
  • Kim “MaKo” Myeong-kwan
Cloud9
  • Anthony “vanity” Malaspina (IGL)
  • Nathan “leaf” Orf
  • Erick “Xeppaa” Bach
  • Jordan “Zellsis” Montemurro
  • Jacob “yay” Whiteaker

Our Prediction

It’s the North America vs Asia in the first match of the night. DRX have defeated BBL Esports 2-1 to make it to the round of 16. On the other hand, Cloud9 steamrolled over another Asian team, Paper Rex. Both teams have shown similar levels of confidence so far in the tournament.

A lot of this DRX vs C9 match boils down to the rosters. Cloud9 now has a pretty much new roster thanks to the Riot Games partnership program. With Zellsis and yay now in the squad, they surely are a force to be reckoned with. But the same DRX roster has been playing together since VCT 2021. There are few teams that come close in terms of co-ordination and that was well displayed at Valorant Champions 2022. This should be a close encounter but we feel like DRX is making it into the quarterfinals from here.

Don’t believe us? We got both our predictions right last night!

DRX is confident they can avenge PRX with this hilarious post tweeted earlier today:

Evil Geniuses vs Talon Esports

We’ll be finishing the night off with the last match between Evil Geniuses and Talon Esports.

Probable Lineups

Evil Geniuses
  • Kelden “Boostio“Pupello (IGL)
  • Corbin “C0M” Lee
  • Alexander “jawgemo” Mor
  • Brendan “BcJ” Jensen
  • Ethan “Ethan” Arnold
Talon Esports
  • Itthirit “foxz” Ngamsaard (IGL)
  • Thanamethk “Crws” Mahatthananuyut
  • Apiwat “garnetS” Apiraksukumal
  • Jittana “JitboyS” Nokngam
  • Panyawat “Sushiboys” Subsiriroj

Our Prediction

Both Evil Geniuses and Talon won their opening matches 2-0, against Heretics and MIBR respectively. The teams seem quite equal in terms of the performance they have displayed so far in the tournament.

The most impressive aspect about Evil Geniuses is the fact that they have a stacked 9-man roster. So, for Talon it’s gonna be hard to predict the lineup of EG. Ethan and BcJ brings a wealth of experience in the lineup which will be crucial for their run here. But let’s not count out Talon Esports. The Thai boys have showed nothing but courage and co-ordination in their opening match against the locals, MIBR. Former XERXIA man, Sushiboys was crowned the MVP of the match. A lot rests on his shoulders tonight as they’ll try to see it through at the series. Evil Geniuses on paper have more experience and firepower, so they should be clinching a spot at the quarterfinals.

Guess only time will tell if we get our predictions right tonight as well!

 

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VCT Lock In 2023 : Round Of 16 Day 1 Predictions

It is the comeback of the Valorant competitive season and things are burning up in Sao Paulo. The VCT 2023 Lock In is underway already with the round of 16 kicking off tomorrow. Today at Gamopo, we make some predictions on who’s winning on the first day of the Ro16.

About The VCT Lock In

VCT Lock In Round Of 16

The VCT Lock In is the first tournament of the VCT season and takes place early in the year. The Lock In is meant to help teams get into top form for the rest of the season by providing them with an opportunity to compete against other top teams. Lock In is featuring every team from the Americas, Pacific, EMEA leagues as well as two invited teams from China! The winning team that secures the championship will earn their region an extra slot at Masters 2023.

VCT23_LOCKIN_Primer_Article_Qualified_Teams.jpg

The round of 16 will be featuring NRG vs. Giants and LOUD vs. Karmine Corp on the first day. Visit the link to learn more about the event.

Round Of 16 Predictions

NRG vs Giants

NRG beat KOI 2-0 in a pretty tight series to make it to this round. On the other hand, Giants beat DetonatioN FM convincingly with a 2-0 score line.

But let’s move onto the first round of 16 matchup for now. NRG is walking into this series being one of the tournament favorites. They have a well-balanced team composing of the core players of the previous OpTic lineup. While there were some doubts about s0m, he buried that in the last match against KOI with a stellar performance. Giants has a decent lineup as well but they seem to be quite reliant on nukkye, the former G2 man.

The two teams have not played against each other before. With all of that being considered, we give the edge to NRG.

LOUD vs Karmine Corp

LOUD also had a bit of a hard time making it to the round of 16 beating Gen. G in a close series. Their opponent, Karmine Corp had to try hard too. They beat FunPlus Phoenix in a series that went all the way, on a score line of 2-1.

The victors of Champions 2022 will be looking to decimate Karmine Corp. While the Brazilian team has let go of Sacy and pAncada, they are still a formidable lineup with tuyz and cauanzin. With ScreaM as the IGL, KC looks promising as well. Shin and Nivera have shown form in the maps they have played at thus far. But we don’t think it’s enough to take down LOUD. We’re going for a LOUD win tonight.

Both the matches should be quite exciting tonight. May the best teams win!

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G2 Vs Heroic At IEM Katowice 2023 Grand Final

As we draw the curtains on IEM Katowice 2023, we have finally crowned a new CS:GO Major champion. It was G2 vs Heroic at the Spodek Arena in the grand finals. Who are returning home with another championship under their belt? Find out!

G2 vs Heroic

G2 beat another title contender, Team Liquid to make it to the finals of Katowice 2023. On the other hand, Heroic annihilated NaVi to reach the finals this year. Last year, they missed out losing to FaZe Clan in the semifinals. The stage was now set for G2 vs Heroic!

Rosters

G2 Esports

  • Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen (IGL)
  • Justin “jks” Savage
  • Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov
  • Nikola “NiKo” Kovač
  • Nemanja “huNter” Kovač

Heroic

  • Casper “cadiaN” Møller (IGL)
  • Martin “stavn” Lund
  • René “TeSeS” Madsen
  • Rasmus “sjuush” Beck
  • Jakob “Jabbi” Nygaard

Map Picks & Bans

  1. G2 removed Overpass
  2. Heroic removed Anubis
  3. G2 picked Nuke
  4. Heroic picked Mirage
  5. G2 picked Inferno
  6. Heroic picked Ancient
  7. Vertigo was left

The Series

Map 1 (Nuke)

Nuke was the first map in the grand finals of G2 vs Heroic. The map started off well for G2. They picked up the first three rounds with relative ease. However, Heroic was quick to remind everyone why they’re in the finals. The first half ended 10-5 in favor of Heroic. G2 started off the second half quite well, again picking up the pistol. HuNter really turned heads in the second half with a 2.01 rating. Thanks to him and support from the rest of the G2 roster, Heroic could barely pick up a map or two on the T-side. G2 picked up the first map 16-12.

Map 2 (Mirage)

The G2 vs Heroic series continued with Heroic’s pick of Mirage. This time, Heroic started off the map well picking up the first three rounds. The first half ended in favor of Heroic yet again, with the score line being 9-6. G2 bounced back at the beginning of the second half. G2’s m0NESY showed up big time as they leveled the score 10-10. G2 turned the game around with some big plays from round 21. Heroic showed some resistance but it was too little, too late. G2 picked up the second map as well against Heroic 16-13.

Map 3 (Inferno)

G2 had to seal the third map to pick up the series. They picked up the first round but Heroic was quick to respond. They won the next 6 rounds straight without sweating much. G2 did a good job of trying to make a comeback as the first half finished 8-7, slightly in favor of G2. The momentum continued as G2 won the first two rounds of the second half as well. But Heroic’s entire roster showed terrific co-ordination and team effort in the second half. Heroic picked up their first map win quite comfortably, 16-11 being the score line.

Map 4 (Ancient)

Ancient started the right way for G2. They started CT-side and won the first three rounds. Heroic started to resist from the next round but G2 fought back again. The first half ended 9-6 in favor of G2. With a 3-round advantage, they were now hoping to win the series and the grand final. G2 kept their eyes on the prize as they were dominant in the second half- only conceding a single round. Picking up their easiest map of the night, G2 beat Heroic and have now been crowned the champions of IEM Katowice 2023.

G2 fans across the globe must surely be ecstatic after their team’s win.

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IEM Katowice 2023 Group A Day 1 Action

IEM Katowice 2023 is running hot as we just got started with group A action today. With the matches already going on as we write this, let’s find out who were the victors on day one. Do check out our previous Katowice 2023 article to learn about this year’s event.

IEM Katowice 2023 Group A

Regarded by many as the group of death, group A is surely delivering us the action CS:GO fans are craving for. With the likes of G2, FaZe Clan, Team Liquid and NaVi in group A, the hype is justified. Group A consists of the following teams:

  • Team Liquid
  • IHC Esports
  • Cloud9
  • Natus Vincere
  • G2 Esports
  • BIG
  • Team Spirit
  • FaZe Clan

Now, let’s check out all the matches of group A of day 1.

Group A Day 1 Matches

G2 Esports vs BIG

Being directly qualified into the group stage, G2’s first opponent was BIG. The Blast Premier World Final 2022 was up against the Roobet Cup 2022 winners. Despite BIG getting the first map pick, it didn’t end well for them. G2 picked up both Anubis and Inferno with a 2-0 clean sweep.

Cloud9 vs Natus Vincere

Meanwhile, G2’s arch rival, NaVi was busy dealing with Cloud9. NaVi showed up on matchday with a clear game plan in mind. That was well reflected in the series between the two teams. On a day where s1mple had barely stepped up, it was the likes of electroNic and b1t that took matters into their own hands. In the end, NaVi walked away with a clean 2-0 win over Cloud9.

Team Spirit vs FaZe Clan

Team Spirit faced the mighty FaZe Clan in the upper bracket quarter finals. Captain Karrigan had an amazing field day leading his team to victory from the front. The team didn’t have to go to a third map and won their series 2-0. They won 16-5 on Ancient and 16-12 on Nuke. Team Spirit will face BIG at the lower bracket quarter finals.

Team Liquid vs IHC Esports

On the last series of day 1 of Katowice 2023 group A, Team Liquid was paired against IHC Esports. IHC showed up but their efforts fell short as Liquid picked up both maps 16-13 and 16-6. The two maps were Iferno and Overpass. IHC will be facing Cloud9 in the lower bracket quarter finals.

Who’s meeting at the upper bracket semifinals?

It’s getting hotter and hotter here at IEM Katowice 2023 group A. Team Liquid is set to face Natus Vincere and G2 will be facing FaZe today. Both matchups are well-balanced and there will be no love lost when the teams will be facing each other. All four of the teams have a terrific shot at winning this major but unfortunately, two will have to take the harder route at the end of the day.

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IEM Katowice 2023: All You Need To Know

Counter Strike fans, rejoice! Top tier Counter-Strike is back and we can’t get more excited than this. With less than a day left till we kick off IEM Katowice 2023, here’s everything you need to know about the Major!

About IEM Katowice 2023

Organized by ESL, the first Intel Grand Slam Major is set to kick off tomorrow and ends on 12th February. The venue for the playoffs is the Spodek Arena of Katowice. A prizepool of $1 million USD is up for grabs for the participating teams. 24 teams will be meeting each other on the maps to be crowned the winner of IEM Katowice 2023.

Participating Teams

Directly Qualified Teams

  • FaZe Clan
  • Team Vitality
  • Outsiders
  • Heroic
  • Team Liquid
  • Natus Vincere
  • G2 Esports
  • MOUZ

Play-In Teams

  • Ninjas In Pyjamas
  • Team Spirit
  • Cloud9
  • Complexity Gaming
  • FURIA Esports
  • MIBR
  • IHC Esports
  • Grayhound Gaming
  • OG
  • ENCE
  • BIG
  • Sprout
  • PaiN Gaming
  • Evil Geniuses
  • Fnatic
  • Permitta Esports

Format

Play-In

The play-in set will begin first with FURIA Esports facing Permitta Esports tomorrow. 8 of the 16 play-in teams will move on to the group stage. Play-ins will take place on February 1st-3rd. All of the opening matches will be a best-of-1. The following matches will follow a best-of-3 format.

Group Stage

February 4th-7th will witness the group stage matches. There will be two groups- A & B with 8 teams each. All matches will follow a best-of-3 format. The top three teams from each group advance to the Playoffs:

  • Group stage winners directly advance to the semifinals
  • Group stage runners-up advance to the quarterfinals as the High Seeds
  • Finally, group stage second runners-up teams advance to the quarterfinals as the Low Seeds

Playoffs

The playoffs will be taking place on the last 3 days, February 10th-12th. Following a single elimination bracket, the quarter and semifinals will be a best-of-3. Meanwhile, the grand finals will be a best-of-five series between the finalists.

All of the matches will be livestreamed on the ESL CSGO Twitch channel. Let’s see who gets crowned the king of Katowice 2023!

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