OpTic Gaming and Cloud9 to Compete at IEM Katowice
Following the recent Valve Major, some of the top Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams are heading to Katowice for a chance to win a $250,000 prize pool.
OpTic Gaming and Cloud9, two elite squads from North America, have been announced by ESL as the latest additions to the lineup at IEM Katowice, taking place from March 1-5. With the likes of SK Gaming, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Astralis, and Virtus Pro also in attendance, the competition promises to be intense.
OpTic and Cloud9 made waves in 2016, each securing victory at an international LAN tournament. Cloud9’s win at the ESL Pro League Season 4 finals marked the first international LAN victory for North America in almost 11 years, highlighting their impressive performance.
While these teams alone make the event highly competitive, there will be a total of 12 teams competing at IEM Katowice. Two more teams are yet to be invited, while three teams from Europe and another North American team will secure their spots through online qualifiers.
CS:GO has started off strong in 2017, and with the presence of highly skilled teams, IEM Katowice is set to become one of the most highly anticipated events of the year.