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IEM Katowice 2023: G2 and Heroic to meet in Bo5 final

Danyal Arabi
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IEM Katowice 2023: G2 and Heroic to meet in Bo5 final

The penultimate playoffs of IEM Katowice have concluded, and two of the best-rated teams of the tournament are headed to the Grand Final. Taking down their respective opponents with ease, Heroic and G2 are looking poised for a barnburner Grand Final. Despite a strong quarterfinal showing by Liquid, and a resurgent NAVI, both failed to get past their rivals in the semifinal games.

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Liquid and NAVI fall to make way for a Heroic vs. G2 IEM Katowice final

Semifinal A: Team Liquid vs. G2

  • Anubis (Team Liquid’s pick): 16-10 to G2
  • Inferno (G2’s pick): 16-11 to G2
  • Ancient (Decider): Not required, series settled 2-0 to G2

Coming off the back of a strong comeback against Vitality in the semis, Liquid had momentum on their side. However, a dominant G2 looked impossible to topple as they continue their winning streak from December 2022. The Kovač cousins put up stellar performances with a 1.36 rating for Hunter and a 1.27 rating for NiKo by the end of the series. The duo managed to clutch a bunch of rounds despite man disadvantages, stopping Liquid from gaining any momentum.

Semifinal B: Heroic vs. Natus Vincere

  • Inferno (NAVI’s pick): 16-8 to Heroic
  • Mirage (Heroic’s pick): 16-8 to Heroic
  • Nuke (Decider): Not required, series settled 2-0 to Heroic

Despite a disappointing Blast Spring Groups, Heroic seems to have bounced back at IEM Katowice. The Cadian-led squad looked in complete control as they fought an arguably ailing NAVI. Posting a poor performance on both maps, NAVI only mustered 8 rounds on each outing. Speaking to HLTV after the game, S1mple stated “Some of our players were too scared to play against such a good team.” S1mple ended the series with a paltry 0.93 rating with series MVP René ‘TeSeS’ Madsen posting a monstrous 1.49 rating.

Where to watch the Grand Finals?

The Grand Finals will be streamed live at 16:00 CET on the ESL CS Twitch and YouTube channels:

Regional language streams will be available via the CS: GO Twitch directory.

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About the author

Danyal Arabi

Danyal Arabi

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Danyal Arabi is an Esports writer and Editor at The SportsRush. With a vested interest in computers since an early age he has managed to sink more than 4000 hours into CS: GO over the years. As a Deus Ex enjoyer and fan of the earlier Assassin's Creeds, narrative-driven games have taken much of his time. Being a 2D fighter enthusiast across franchises like Injustice, Mortal Kombat, and Street Fighter, a fair few controllers have been sacrificed in his pursuit to win. Apart from all things gaming, Danyal enjoys motorsport, bowling, and spending weekends with his pals over good food and banter.

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