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Get ready for IEM Katowice 2017

Riot··2 votes·30,319 views

One team is about to take home the Intel® Extreme Masters Season 11 championship!

The action will come to a head at IEM Katowice, where eight international League of Legends teams will do battle starting on Wednesday, February 22. If this is your first IEM or you need to catch up on IEM Season 11, read on!

What is IEM Katowice?

In its 11th season, Intel Extreme Masters is the longest running global pro gaming tour in the world. Europe’s Unicorns of Love won this season’s first event, IEM Oakland. Then Samsung Galaxy took 1st place at IEM Gyeonggi. Now, IEM Katowice will pit eight international teams against each other for all the marbles.

Why does it matter?

Teams at IEM Katowice are competing for a prize pool of $150,000 USD. Here’s the breakdown of prize money distribution:

  • 1st place: $70,000
  • 2nd place: $30,000
  • 3rd-4th place: $15,000
  • 5th-6th place: $7,000
  • 7th-8th place: $3,000

What’s the format of IEM Katowice?

IEM Katowice will begin with a double elimination Group Stage taking place February 22-25. Two groups of four teams will face-off, with the top two teams advancing.   The semifinals and finals will take place February 26. The four remaining teams will play in two Best of 3 Semifinal matches, with the winners doing battle in a Best of 3 Grand Final.

How can I watch IEM Katowice?

The IEM Katowice broadcast will be available on Lolesports.

The IEM Katowice broadcast begins at 4:30 AM PST on Wednesday, February 22 and continues through Sunday, February 26.

What’s the schedule?

Note: All dates and times are in Los Angeles local time or Pacific Standard Time (PST). Match times listed below are estimates pending previous game length.

Wednesday, February 22 - Groups:

  • 4:30 AM - Broadcast begins
  • 5:00  AM - Group A, Match #1
  • 6:20 AM - Group A, Match #2
  • 7:40 AM - Group B, Match #1
  • 9:00 AM - Group B, Match #2
  • 10:20 AM - Group A, Winners’ Match (Bo3)

Thursday, February 23 - Groups:

  • 2:30 AM - Broadcast begins
  • 3:00 AM - Group B, Winners’ Match (Bo3)
  • 6:30 AM - Group A, Elimination Match (Bo3)
  • 10:00 AM - Group B, Elimination Match (Bo3)

Saturday, February 25 - Groups:

  • 3:00 AM - Opening Ceremony
  • 3:45 AM  - Showmatch
  • 5:15 AM - Group A, Decider Match (Bo3)
  • 9:45 AM - Group B, Decider Match (Bo3)

Sunday, February 26 - Semifinals/Finals:

  • 3:00 AM - Broadcast begins
  • 3:30 AM  - Semifinal #1 (Bo3)
  • 7:00 AM - Semifinal #2 (Bo3)
  • 10:40 AM - Final (Bo3)

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Where is IEM Katowice taking place?

On February 22-23, matches will take place at the ESL Studio in Poland. On February 25-26, matches will take place live in front of an audience at the Spodek Arena in Katowice, Poland.

Which teams are participating?

  • H2K
  • Unicorns of Love
  • G2 Esports
  • M19
  • Flash Wolves
  • Kongdoo Monster
  • ROX Tigers
  • Hong Kong Esports

Which patch will IEM Katowice be on?

IEM Katowice will be played on Patch 7.3.

I want to come to IEM Katowice, can I still get tickets?

IEM Katowice tickets are still available here.

I’m attending IEM Katowice, what do I need to know?

For more information on IEM Katowice, head over to the official ESL website. If you have any additional questions about the event, email [email protected].

Don’t miss any of the battles for the IEM Katowice championship starting on Wednesday, February 22 at 4:30 AM PST.

19 Comments

Tharus3 votes

Is this why the LCS teams are taking a one week break?

dude84621 votes

Yes, even though NA isn't attending.

GeminiRune2 votes

All of the major regions are taking a week off, regardless of if they're competing or not.

TrollFan013 votes

Since SKT, C9, and EDG aren't going to be here I'm calling the Flash Wolves to win.

Drew J2 votes

I for 1 am kinda happy only shitty teams are going, and no LCS this weekend. Finally a weekend off. Yay for going out into the world, and not sitting at my computer all weekend. Kappa

Reaxetion1 votes

I got to play TONS of URF since there was no need to stop and watch the LCS.

JurBurr2 votes

Go UOL!!![slayer-pantheon-thumbs]

Kaiten72 votes

Hey it's that time of year for the... #IEMnobodycares!

digdoug0062 votes

LOL, everyone treating the lower Korean teams like they're trash. Like an EU or NA team would finish ahead of them in the LCK.

BigBellBrute3 votes

{quoted}

LOL, everyone treating the lower Korean teams like they're trash. Like an EU or NA team would finish ahead of them in the LCK.

Why wouldn't any EU teams finish ahead of Kongdoo Monster? Two EU teams just beat them. As for NA well none of ours are there so who can say either way.

III BAKURYU III 1 votes

2017 Spring Split team stats per game 41.43 mins 9.7 kills 14.3 deaths 3.2 towers 10.5 towers lost 1.17 dragons 0.17 barons Hong Kong Esports 35.10 mins 17.0 kills 7.8 deaths 9.5 towers 3.3 towers lost 3.00 dragons 1.00 barons Flash Wolves 43.20 mins 13.1 kills 14.1 deaths 6.4 towers 7.1 towers lost 2.50 dragons 1.00 barons M19 39.26 mins 14.2 kills 9.2 deaths 8.9 towers 3.9 towers lost 2.35 dragons 1.29 barons G2 Esports 34.38 mins 17.1 kills 12.5 deaths 7.8 towers 4.1 towers lost 1.71 dragons 1.14 barons Unicorns of Love 38.22 mins 8.7 kills 14.5 deaths 3.6 towers 8.1 towers lost 1.32 dragons 0.58 barons Kongdoo Monster 37.09 mins 11.3 kills 13.9 deaths 4.6 towers 8.1 towers lost 1.38 dragons 0.43 barons Rox Tigers 37.07 mins 17.4 kills 12.3 deaths 8.0 towers 4.7 towers lost 2.65 dragons 1.00 barons H2K Gaming

Group A Rox Tigers vs M19
H2K vs Hong Kong Esports

Group B Kongdoo Monster vs Unicorns of Love G2 Esports vs Flash Wolves

Conalll1 votes

Wait, I thought CLG was invited. Did I miss something? Why is NA not attending?

GeminiRune5 votes

A few things happened. Pretty much in this order.

  1. C9 was originally invited to Katowice through their Top 8 finish at Worlds.

  2. CLG was invited to IEM Gyeonggi as a result but turned it down.

  3. Neither TSM, TL, nor IMT secured the Katowice spot through Oakland or Gyeonggi respectively.

  4. And the one that matters the most: Why no NA team in the end? They were asked upon C9's opt out a bit over a week ago and every team turned it down. As a result, G2 took their place. Common reason: ease of re-entry into the country.

Miror B2 votes

{quoted}

A few things happened. Pretty much in this order.

  1. C9 was originally invited to Katowice through their Top 8 finish at Worlds.

  2. CLG was invited to IEM Gyeonggi as a result but turned it down.

  3. Neither TSM, TL, nor IMT secured the Katowice spot through Oakland or Gyeonggi respectively.

  4. And the one that matters the most: Why no NA team in the end? They were asked upon C9's opt out a bit over a week ago and every team turned it down. As a result, G2 took their place. Common reason: ease of re-entry into the country.

You're a bit off on the 4th point. Teams weren't fearing that all of their players would be granted re-access, but moreso the "non-american" ones. Apparently barring trips to canada many of the teams (c9 especially, as their top-lane is basically korea-only) are worried that their best players could be unable to re-enter, forcing them to replace their koreans and europeans with dearth-ey NA imports.

Also, with the quality of the teams there I'm probably going to ignore it much like every other iem thingy. UOL has a 60% chance of winning the whole thing, as barring g2 no teams really stand a chance of beating them.

GeminiRune1 votes

I guess it would have been better to say the common assumed reason. But yeah you're pretty much on point with that. I was in a rush.

Conalll1 votes

Thank you both. Guess I did miss a few things, though I thought the travel thing had been resolved. Guess not.

Kaiten71 votes

Are you nuts? Flashwolves going to win 100%

Jangbolsal1 votes

What happened to Samsung and SKT? and why would they replace them with Rox and Kongdoo.. they are 8th and 9th place in the league (Combined stats of 3Wins and 13 Losses). Also no LPL and NA teams? What's the point of having this tournament -_-;;

TrollFan011 votes

Called it! Flash Wolves won

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