Counter-Strike’s IEM Katowice 2021 saw Gambit Esports etch their name into one of CSGO’s most prestigious trophies, alongside winning the lion’s share of $1 million after defeating Virtus.pro in the finals! Here’s how the tournament unfolded.
- Gambit defeated NAVI, Spirit and Virtus.pro in the Playoffs.
- Abay ‘Hobbit’ Khasenov stole the show in the finals.
- Dmitry ‘sh1ro’ Sokolov was crowned the event MVP.
IEM Katowice 2021: Final placements & prize breakdown
The $1 million prize pool was be split between all 24 teams, including the ones that failed to make it to the Group Stage. The first-place team earned the biggest sliver of the pie, of course, taking home $400,000.
| Place | Team | Prize ($USD) |
| 1 | Gambit Esports | $400,000 |
| 2 | Virtus.pro | $180,000 |
| 3-4 | Team Liquid | $80,000 |
| Team Spirit | $80,000 | |
| 5-6 | Astralis | $40,000 |
| Navi | $40,000 | |
| 7-8 | G2 Esports | $24,000 |
| FURIA | $24,000 | |
| 9-12 | Heroic | $16,000 |
| Evil Geniuses | $16,000 | |
| FaZe Clan | $16,000 | |
| Team Vitality | $16,000 | |
| 13-16 | mousesports | $10,000 |
| BIG | $10,000 | |
| OG | $10,000 | |
| Ninjas in Pyjamas | $10,000 | |
| 17-20 | Complexity | $4,500 |
| MIBR | $4,500 | |
| Renegades | $4,500 | |
| Cloud9 | $4,500 | |
| 21-24 | Fnatic | $2,500 |
| Wisla Krakow | $2,500 | |
| Team One | $2,500 | |
| Movistar Riders | $2,500 |
IEM Katowice 2021: Format
- Play-In: Feb 16-17
- Double-elimination bracket.
- Opening matches were best-of-one, all other matches were best-of-three.
- The Top 8 teams advanced to Group Stage.
- Group Stage: Feb 18-21
- 16 teams split into two groups.
- Double-elimination brackets.
- Top-three teams from each group advance to Playoffs.
- Group winners started in the semifinals.
- Group second-place teams started in the quarterfinals (high seed).
- Group third-place teams started in the quarterfinals (low seed).
- Playoffs: Feb 26-28
- Single-elimination bracket.
- Best-of-three matches, Best-of-five Grand Final
Watch now: ThriveFantasy IEM Katowice 2021 Quarter-Final Preview | Presented by BanKs & Maniac
IEM Katowice 2021: Play-in results
Day 1 — February 16
| Round | Match | Map 1 | Map 2 | Map 3 |
| Upper Bracket R1 | BIG 1-0 Movistar Riders | BIG: Inferno (16-6) | N/A | |
| Upper Bracket R1 | Team Spirit 1-0 Cloud9 | SPT: Inferno (16-7) | ||
| Upper Bracket R1 | Gambit 1-0 Team One | GMB: Train (16-5) | ||
| Upper Bracket R1 | Renegades 0-1 mousesports | MOUZ: Inferno (16-14) | ||
| Upper Bracket R1 | Virtus.pro 1-0 Wisła Kraków | VP: Inferno (16-10) | ||
| Upper Bracket R1 | NiP 1-0 Complexity | NIP: Nuke (16-7) | ||
| Upper Bracket R1 | OG 1-0 Fnatic | OG: Overpass (16-9) | ||
| Upper Bracket R1 | Team Liquid 1-0 MIBR | TL: Vertigo (16-12) | ||
| Group Stage decider | Gambit 2-1 mousesports | MOUZ: Dust2 (16-11) | GMB: Inferno (16-12) | GMB: Vertigo (16-6) |
| Group Stage decider | Team Spirit 2-0 BIG | SPT: Overpass (16-11) | SPT: Mirage (16-13) | Dust2 (N/A) |
| Elimination Match | Movistar Riders 0-2 Cloud9 | C9: Overpass (16-11) | C9: Nuke 19-16) | Inferno (N/A) |
| Group Stage decider | NiP 2-0 Virtus.pro | NIP: Overpass (16-13) | NIP: Dust2 (16-11) | Train (N/A) |
| Group Stage decider | Team Liquid 2-1 OG | TL: Mirage (16-7) | OG: Overpass (16-7) | TL: Nuke 16-14 |
| Elimination Match | Team One 1-2 Renegades | ONE: Inferno (16-3) | RNG: Mirage (16-4) | RNG: Overpass (19-17) |
Day 2 — February 17
| Match | Map 1 | Map 2 | Map 3 | |
| Elimination Match | Complexity 2-1 Wisla Krakow | COL: Inferno(16-5) | WIS: Mirage (19-16) | Nuke (16-9) |
| Elimination Match | MIBR 2-0 Fnatic | MIBR: Dust2 (16-12) | MIBR: (16-9) | Train (N/A) |
| Group Stage decider | Cloud9 1-2 OG | OG: Nuke (16-8) | C9: Overpass (16-11) | OG: Dust2 (16-12) |
| Group Stage decider | Virtus.pro 2-0 Renegades | VP: Vertigo (16-9) | VP: Dust2 (16-3) | Inferno (N/A) |
| Group Stage decider | mousesports 2-1 Complexity | COL: Mirgae (16-8) | MOUZ: Dust2 (19-17) | MOUZ: Nuke (16-3) |
| Group Stage decider | BIG 2-0 MIBR | BIG: Dust2 (16-3) | BIG: Nuke (16-7) | Mirage (N/A) |
IEM Katowice 2021: Group Stage results
Day 3 — February 18
Group A
| Round | Match | Map 1 | Map 2 | Map 3 |
| Upper Bracket R1 | G2 1-2 Spirit | SPT: Train (16-14) | G2: Mirage (16-8) | SPT: Inferno (16-10) |
| Upper Bracket R1 | Evil Geniuses 2-0 Gambit | EG: Overpass (16-13) | EG: Inferno (16-10) | Train (N/A) |
| Upper Bracket R1 | Astralis 2-0 mousesports | AST: Nuke (16-8) | AST: Inferno (16-12) | Vertigo (N/A) |
| Upper Bracket R1 | Heroic 2-0 BIG | HER: Inferno (16-12) | HER: Nuke (16-14) | Vertigo (N/A) |
Group B
| Round | Match | Map 1 | Map 2 | Map 3 |
| Upper Bracket R1 | Vitality 2-0 OG | VIT: Dust2 (16-11) | VIT: Nuke (19-17) | Overpass (N/A) |
| Upper Bracket R1 | FaZe Clan 0-2 Liquid | TL: Mirage (16-11) | TL: Nuke (16-6) | Inferno (N/A) |
Day 4 — February 19
Group B
| Round | Match | Map 1 | Map 2 | Map 3 |
| Upper Bracket R1 | FURIA 2-0 NiP | FUR: Overpass (16-12) | FUR: Nuke (16-4) | Inferno (N/A) |
| Upper Bracket R1 | Virtus.pro 0-2 Navi | NAVI: Dust2 (16-11) | NAVI: Train (16-9) | Inferno (N/A) |
Group A
| Round | Match | PST | EST | GMT |
| Upper Bracket R2 | Evil Geniuses 0-2 Astralis | AST: Train (16-9) | AST: Dust2 (16-7) | Inferno (N/A) |
| Lower Bracket R1 | Gambit 2-0 mousesports | GMB: Dust2 (16-11) | GMB: Vertigo (16-10) | Train (N/A) |
| Upper Bracket R2 | Spirit 2-0 Heroic | SPT: Inferno (16-12) | SPT: Nuke (16-14) | Train (N/A) |
| Lower Bracket R1 | G2 2-0 BIG | G2: Inferno (16-10) | G2: Mirage (16-12) | Vertigo (N/A) |
Day 5 — February 20
Group A
| Round | Match | Map 1 | Map 2 | Map 3 |
| Lower Bracket R2 | Heroic 1-2 Gambit | HER: Overpass (16-12) | GMB: Inferno (16-14) | GMB: Mirage (16-3) |
| Lower Bracket R2 | Evil Geniuses 0-2 G2 | G2: Train (16-14) | G2: Dust2 (16-14) | Inferno (N/A) |
Group B
| Round | Match | Map 1 | Map 2 | Map 3 |
| Lower Bracket R1 | OG 0-2 FaZe Clan | FAZE: Mirage (16-7) | FAZE: Dust2 (16-9) | Train (N/A) |
| Lower Bracket R1 | NiP 0-2 Virtus.pro | VP: Inferno (16-9) | VP: Overpass (16-7) | Train (N/A) |
| Upper Bracket R2 | Liquid 2-1 Vitality | VIT: Nuke (19-16) | TL: Vertigo (16-10) | VIT: Mirage (16-12) |
| Upper Bracket R2 | FURIA 0-2 Navi | NAVI: Mirage (16-13) | NAVI: Nuke (16-8) | Inferno (N/A) |
Day 6 — February 21
Group A
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| Round | Match | Map 1 | Map 2 | Map 3 |
| Upper Bracket R3 | Astralis 1-2 Spirit | AST: Inferno (16-11) | SPT: Train (16-13) | SPT: Dust2 (16-1) |
| Lower Bracket R3 | Gambit 2-0 G2 Esports | GMB: Vertigo (16-11) | GMB: Dust2 (16-11) | Inferno (N/A) |
Group B
| Round | Match | Map 1 | Map 2 | Map 3 |
| Lower Bracket R2 | FURIA 2-1 FaZe Clan | FUR: Mirage (16-8) | FAZE: Overpass (16-14) | FUR: Train (16-4) |
| Lower Bracket R2 | Team Vitality 0-2 Virtus.Pro | VP: Inferno (19-17) | VP: Overpass (16-12) | Dust 2 (N/A) |
| Upper Bracket R3 | Team Liquid 2-1 Navi | TL: Overpass (16-14) | NAVI: Dust 2 (16-7) | TL: Inferno (22-19) |
| Lower Bracket R3 | Virtus.Pro 2-0 Furia | VP: Overpass (16-14) | VP: Mirage (16-10) | Inferno (N/A) |
IEM Katowice 2021: Playoff results
Day 7 — February 26 (Quarter-finals)
| Round | Match | Map 1 | Map 2 | Map 3 |
| Dexerto’s Key Moment | Gambit 2-0 Navi | GAM: Overpass (16-12) | GAM Train (16-6) | Dust2 (N/A) |
| Dexerto’s Key Moment | Astralis 1-2 Virtus.pro | VP: Overpass (16-10) | AST: Train (16-12) | VP: Inferno (16-11) |
Navi & Astralis suffer shock exit
Gambit pulled the upset against Navi in the CIS derby. The young squad swept s1mple’s team 2-1 with Overpass (16-12) and Train (16-6) going the way of Gambit. Sh1ro stepped up across the series, consistently clutching rounds and displaying a respectable 87.8 ADR.
Virtus.pro continued their great 2021 form by eliminating Astralis in a thrilling series. Overpass (16-10) went the way of VP, followed by Astralis taking Train (16-12). The Danes had no answer in the final map, as they witnessed YEKINDAR take control of Inferno (16-11) and bring home the bacon. The Latvian star consistently performed during the series, clocking out with 75 kills over the three maps.
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Day 8 — February 27 (Semi-finals)
| Round | Match | Map 1 | Map 2 | Map 2 |
| Dexerto’s Key Moment | Spirit 0-2 Gambit | GMB: Overpass (16-11) | GMB: Inferno (16-13) | Mirage (N/A) |
| Dexerto’s Key Moment | Team Liquid 0-2 Virtus.pro | VP: Dust 2 (16-9) | VP: Mirage (16-12) | Inferno (N/A) |
Gambit &Virtus.pro sweep their way to an all-CIS Katowice final
Gambit swept Team Spirit to earn a spot in the grand finals. Ax1Le was their top performer, staying at the top of the scoreboard on both Overpass (16-11) and Inferno (16-13) with 48 kills at the end of the series.
Team Liquid were unable to stop the CIS region from dominating the Playoffs. Virtus.pro defeated the North Americans on Dust2 (16-9) and Mirage (16-12), with Jame finding impact with the AWP in almost every round.
Day 9 — February 28 (Grand Final)
| Round | Match | Map 1 | Map 2 | Map 3 | Map 4 | Map 5 |
| Dexerto’s Key Moment | Gambit 3-1 Virtus.pro | VP: Vertigo (16-14) | GMB: Dust2 (16-6) | GMB: Train (16-4) | GMB: Overpass (16-12) | Mirage (N/A) |
Gambit defeat Virtus.pro to claim the Katowice trophy
The CIS showdown started with VP edging out Gambit on Vertigo (16-14), as YEKINDAR and Jame topped the scoreboard with 26 kills each. Gambit turned the series around on Dust2 (16-6) winning 10 rounds in a row to close out the map before continuing their domination on Train (16-4).
The youngsters finally took the trophy home after halting a potential VP comeback on Overpass (16-12). Hobbit led by example in the series, posting an impressive 90 frags over the four maps — alongside 106 ADR!
IEM Katowice 2021 essentials! Relive the big moments
- Top 10 Group Stage Moments: Stewie & Degster DOMINATE!
- Richard Lewis: Stewie2K IS BACK! Return of Liquid’s Smoke Criminal
- ThriveFantasy quarter-final preview
- IEM Katowice Playoff preview
- IEM Katowice Playoffs: 5 players to watch
- Why Astralis Desperately Need a Zonic BOOM @ IEM Katowice Playoffs
- Richard Lewis: Navi’s Biggest Flaw EXPOSED AGAIN
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