IEM Katowice Major 2019: results, champion and story
Astralis won IEM Katowice Major 2019 in Katowice, Poland, beating ENCE 2–0 in the grand final. It was Major number 14 in the history of Counter-Strike and the third Major title for Astralis.
Quick facts
| Dates | February 13 – March 3, 2019 |
|---|---|
| Location | Katowice, Poland · ESL Arena, International Congress Centre and Spodek |
| Game | CS:GO |
| Prize pool | $1,000,000 |
| Teams | 24 |
| Champion | Astralis |
| Runner-up | ENCE |
| Final | 2–0 |
The story of IEM Katowice Major 2019
Astralis won their third Major, tying Fnatic for the most titles, and became the third team to win consecutive Majors, with a 2–0 over the underdog ENCE. On the way to the final ENCE, a Finnish team, beat world number two Team Liquid and world number three Natus Vincere. The event was ESL’s first Major since 2016 and the start of the second Intel Grand Slam season, and it came with format changes: ESL swapped FACEIT’s Buchholz seeding for an Elo-based system and asked teams to rank each other to set the draw. Valve also cut the direct Major invites from sixteen to fourteen, which gave third-place Minor teams a play-in spot. The three stages were hosted in three different Katowice venues, ending in the Spodek with the playoff.
Format
Three stages: New Challengers and New Legends (both Swiss) and the New Champions playoff (best-of-three). ESL replaced the Buchholz system with an Elo rating and had teams rank each other to set the seeding. 24 teams took part, and the prize pool was $1,000,000.
Line-ups
| Team | Result | Players |
|---|---|---|
| Astralis | Champion | gla1ve, dev1ce, dupreeh, Magisk, Xyp9x Coach: zonic |
| ENCE | Runner-up | Aleksib, Aerial, allu, sergej, xseveN |
What made it memorable
- Astralis tied Fnatic for the most Major titles with three.
- Astralis became the third team to win consecutive Majors.
- ENCE beat Team Liquid and Natus Vincere on the way to the final.
- Valve cut direct invites from 16 to 14.
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FAQ
Who won IEM Katowice Major 2019?
Astralis won IEM Katowice Major 2019, beating ENCE 2–0 in the grand final.
Where and when was IEM Katowice Major 2019 played?
IEM Katowice Major 2019 took place on February 13 – March 3, 2019 in Katowice, Poland (ESL Arena, International Congress Centre and Spodek). It was Major number 14, played in CS:GO.
How much was the prize pool at IEM Katowice Major 2019?
The prize pool was $1,000,000 with 24 teams taking part.
Who was the MVP of IEM Katowice Major 2019?
No MVP award is recorded in the sources we checked for IEM Katowice Major 2019.
Which players won IEM Katowice Major 2019 for Astralis?
The winning line-up was gla1ve, dev1ce, dupreeh, Magisk, Xyp9x, with zonic as coach.
Sources
Oggo is independent and not affiliated with Valve or the organizers of IEM Katowice Major 2019. Dates and results were checked against the sources above.