Get hyped for one of the most iconic Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) esports events of the year—Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Katowice 2025! ESL always pulls out all the stops to make this event one to remember. No CS2 esports fan should miss the pageantry and spectacle of IEM Katowice 2025 as the best teams fight for glory and their share of the $1 million prize pool.
Our in-depth viewer’s guide for IEM Katowice 2025 includes the tournament format and schedule, a list of competing teams, prize pool distribution, and our expert betting predictions.
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IEM Katowice 2025
IEM Katowice 2025 Schedule & Format
IEM Katowice 2025 runs from Jan. 29 to Feb. 9 in Poland and kicks off with the Play-In Stage, which features a double-elimination bracket format. This stage sees 16 teams compete in best-of-three matches from Jan. 29 to 31. The top eight teams advance to the main event’s Group Stage.
In the Group Stage, the eight teams from the Play-In Stage join eight direct-invite teams starting on Feb. 1. The format is two double-elimination GSL-style groups with eight teams each. All matches in the Group Stage are best-of-three. Group winners advance to the Semifinals, runners-up to the Quarterfinals (High Seeds), and third-place teams to the Quarterfinals (Low Seeds). The rest are eliminated.
From Feb. 7 to 9, the top six teams will compete in front of a live crowd at the Spodek Arena, known in the CS community as the “Hall of Heroes.” The Playoffs feature a single-elimination bracket format. The grand finale is best-of-five, and all other matches are best-of-three.
Check out the complete schedule in your timezone on the official IEM Katowice page.
Prize Pool Distribution
The table below showcases the prize pool distribution for IEM Katowice 2025.
| Place | Prize Money |
| 1st | $400,000 |
| 2nd | $180,000 |
| 3rd/4th | $80,000 |
| 5th/6th | $40,000 |
| 7th/8th | $24,000 |
| 9th-12th | $16,000 |
| 13th-16th | $10,000 |
| 17th-20th | $4,500 |
| 21st-24th | $2,500 |
| Total | $1,000,000 |
An additional $250,000 forms a “club prize pool” for the top 12 teams.
How To Watch IEM Katowice 2025
You can watch all the heart-pounding IEM Katowice 2025 action here at Thunderpick. Our state-of-the-art CS2 betting section makes it easy for fans to watch embedded live streams of every match and place in-play wagers. You can also watch the event live on ESL’s Twitch and YouTube channels.
Teams Competing In IEM Katowice 2025
We’ve explained how IEM Katowice 2025 is divided into two stages (Play-In and the main event). Because of the two distinct phases, we’ve listed Play-In teams separately from direct invites.
Play-In Stage Teams & Opening Matchups
ESL has confirmed the opening matches of all 16 teams in the IEM Katowice 2025 Play-In stage. Check out the matches below:
- Team Liquid vs. HEROIC
- Complexity vs. Eternal Fire
- Imperial Fe vs. FURIA
- paiN vs. Virtus.pro
- 3DMax vs. FlyQuest
- Astralis vs. MIBR
- GamerLegion vs. SAW
- Wildcard vs. BIG
Direct Invite teams
These eight teams received direct invites to IEM Katowice 2025’s Stage 2 based on Valve’s Global Standings (Jan 6, 2025).
Group A teams:
Group B teams:
- NAVI
- MOUZ
- The MongolZ
- Team Spirit
Teams who survive the Play-In stage will join these eight in the Group Stage.
Our Predictions For IEM Katowice 2025
To make our IEM Katowice 2025 betting predictions, we considered factors like team form, past results, ranking on HLTV, and Valve’s Global Standings. As the second big LAN event of the year, IEM Katowice is another tough-to-predict tournament, but we’re eager to pop a Flash and jump in!
Important note: Predictions were made before the conclusion of the first big LAN event, the BLAST Bounty Season 1 Finals. Our analysis should not be considered betting advice to act upon. Past performances do not guarantee future results. Always gamble responsibly.
Team Vitality
During the off-season, FaZe Clan lost Estonian Rifler ropz to Team Vitality. This was easily one of the most significant roster moves in recent memory, primarily because many consider ropz one of the best players in the world.
After watching Team Vitality’s first few S-Tier matches of 2025, it’s clear that ropz is acclimating exceptionally well under the leadership of apEX. Plus, as expected, legendary AWPer ZywOo continues to shine.
This is the team to beat at IEM Katowice 2025. If the powerhouse squad doesn’t at least make it to the Playoffs (top 6), most fans would be shocked.
Team Vitality roster:
- Robin “ropz” Kool
- Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut
- Shahar “flameZ” Shushan
- William “mezii” Merriman
- Dan “apEX” Madesclaire (IGL)
- Rémy “XTQZZZ” Quoniam (Coach)
Team Spirit
Team Spirit is the defending IEM Katowice champion and ranked among the top two teams in the world by HLTV and Valve. Young superstar rifler donk was undisputedly the best player in 2024, so something drastic will need to happen for his squad to miss the top four this year.
The entire Team Spirit squad is in top form, with chopper’s excellent calls on the server, donk smashing anyone in his way, and AWPer sh1ro blowing away anyone in his line of sight. If Team Spirit doesn’t defend their title, there’s a good chance they’ll make it to the grand finale.
Team Spirit roster:
- Danil “donk” Kryshkovets
- Dmitriy “sh1ro” Sokolov
- Boris “magixx” Vorobyev
- Myroslav “zont1x” Plakhotja
- Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov (IGL)
- Sergey “hally” Shavayev (Coach)
Team Falcons
On paper, Team Falcons’ brand-new roster is a titan that should lift multiple trophies in 2025. The ex-HEROIC core (TeSeS, degster, and kyxsan) and star Rifler NiKo joining four-time Major Championship winner Magisk was the highlight of the off-season roster shuffles.
Despite a devastating defeat at the hands of Eternal Fire in the BLAST Bounty 2025 Season 1 qualifier, Team Falcons can bounce back quickly. We’re boldly predicting they’ll secure a podium position at this year’s IEM Katowice.
Team Falcons roster:
- Nikola “NiKo” Kovač
- Emil “Magisk” Reif
- René “TeSeS” Madsen
- Abdulkhalik “degster” Gasanov
- Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski (IGL)
- Danny “zonic” Sørensen (Coach)
G2 Esports
Our fourth pick was a difficult choice between NAVI and G2 Esports. We went with the latter due to the fantastic form of the best AWPer in 2024, m0NESY. G2 doesn’t seem phased by the loss of star Rifler NiKo to Team Falcons during the off-season, and HeavyGod is acclimating well in their first matches together.
G2 has the talent to win any CS2 esports event it enters. Guatemalan Rifler malbsMd cuts through squads with surgical precision, and m0NESY on the Big Green rarely misses a shot. At the time of writing, G2 Esports is ranked 2nd by HLTV and 1st by Valve, easily making them a favorite in Katowice.
G2 Esports roster:
- Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač
- Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov
- Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa
- Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko
- Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski (IGL)
- Wiktor “TaZ” Wojtas (Coach)
Don’t Miss A Minute Of IEM Katowice 2025
IEM Katowice 2025 is shaping up to be an unforgettable event for CS2 fans, with highly ranked teams, intense matchups, and a massive $1 million prize pool on the line. Whether you’re rooting for favorites like Team Vitality or hoping for an underdog story, you’re sure to see some head-turning plays.
Make sure to catch all the action live on Thunderpick, where you can watch matches and place bets in real-time.
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