Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2025 Overview: Format, Dates and Prize Pool

Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2025 is here! From January 29, 2025, to February 9, 2025, one of the largest CS2 tournaments of the year will take place. This event officially marks the start of the professional Counter-Strike season, as 24 of the strongest teams are ready to showcase their best gameplay. In this article, we’ll cover all the essential details about IEM Katowice 2025, including dates, rules, and the prize pool, so you know what to expect from the tournament.

IEM Katowice 2025 Format

As mentioned above, this tournament can be considered the start of the professional CS2 season, and it’s immediately a major event. Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2025 will take place in Katowice, Poland, and will be divided into several stages. The initial team seeding was conducted based on the Valve Global Standings, meaning teams that performed well in previous tournaments bypass the first stage and go directly to the Group Stage. Among these teams are well-known names such as NAVI, Team Spirit, FaZe Clan, Team Vitality, and several other strong contenders. The overall tournament format is as follows:

Play-In:

• Double-elimination bracket
• All matches are Bo3
• The top eight teams advance to the Group Stage

Group Stage:

• Two double-elimination format (GSL) groups
• Each group has eight teams
• All matches are Bo3
• The top three teams from each group advance to the Playoffs:
• Group stage winners advance to the Semifinals
• Group stage runners-up advance to the Quarterfinals as the High Seeds
• Group stage 3rd place teams advance to the Quarterfinals as the Low Seeds

Playoffs:

• Single-elimination bracket
• Quarterfinals and Semifinals are Bo3
• The Grand Final is Bo5

It’s worth noting that this format ensures a large number of matches, which will increase the tournament’s excitement and engagement.

Participating Teams

Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2025 will feature 24 teams, each of which can be considered strong contenders. Below is the full list of participating teams, along with the stage from which they will begin the competition.

Play-In Teams:

• Team Liquid
• HEROIC
• Complexity
• Eternal Fire
• 3DMAX
• FlyQuest
• Astralis
• MIBR
• paiN Gaming
• Virtus.pro
• SAW
• GamerLegion
• Wildcard
• BIG
• Imperial Female
• FURIA Esports

Directly Qualified Teams:

• G2 Esports
• Team Falcons
• Team Vitality
• FaZe Clan
• Team Spirit
• Natus Vincere
• MOUZ
• The MongolZ

IEM Katowice 2025 Prize Pool

As an S-tier tournament, the prize pool is fittingly significant. Teams will compete for a total of $1,000,000, which has become a standard amount for events of this caliber. The prize distribution is as follows:

• 1st place: $400,000
• 2nd place: $180,000
• 3rd-4th place: $80,000

Teams placing lower will also receive monetary rewards, though less substantial. Be sure to tune in to the official tournament broadcasts starting January 29, 2025 (the beginning of the Play-In stage), and cheer for your favorite teams!