Gambit win IEM Katowice 2021: Final placements & recap

❘ Published: 2021-03-01T09:16:13

Counter-Strike’s IEM Katowice 2021 saw Gambit Esports etch their name into one of CSGO’s most prestigious trophies, alongside winning the lion’s share of $1 million after defeating Virtus.pro in the finals! Here’s how the tournament unfolded.

Gambit defeated NAVI, Spirit and Virtus.pro in the Playoffs.
Abay ‘Hobbit’ Khasenov stole the show in the finals.
Dmitry ‘sh1ro’ Sokolov was crowned the event MVP.

IEM Katowice 2021: Final placements & prize breakdown

The $1 million prize pool was be split between all 24 teams, including the ones that failed to make it to the Group Stage. The first-place team earned the biggest sliver of the pie, of course, taking home $400,000.

Place	Team	Prize ($USD)
1	Gambit Esports	$400,000
2	Virtus.pro	$180,000
3-4	Team Liquid	$80,000
3-4	Team Spirit	$80,000
5-6	Astralis	$40,000
5-6	Navi	$40,000
7-8	G2 Esports	$24,000
7-8	FURIA	$24,000
9-12	Heroic	$16,000
	Evil Geniuses	$16,000
	FaZe Clan	$16,000
	Team Vitality	$16,000
13-16	mousesports	$10,000
	BIG	$10,000
	OG	$10,000
	Ninjas in Pyjamas	$10,000
17-20	Complexity	$4,500
	MIBR	$4,500
	Renegades	$4,500
	Cloud9	$4,500
21-24	Fnatic	$2,500
	Wisla Krakow	$2,500
	Team One	$2,500
	Movistar Riders	$2,500

IEM Katowice 2021: Format

Play-In: Feb 16-17
- Double-elimination bracket.
- Opening matches were best-of-one, all other matches were best-of-three.
- The Top 8 teams advanced to Group Stage.
Group Stage: Feb 18-21
- 16 teams split into two groups.
- Double-elimination brackets.
- Top-three teams from each group advance to Playoffs.
  - Group winners started in the semifinals.
  - Group second-place teams started in the quarterfinals (high seed).
  - Group third-place teams started in the quarterfinals (low seed).
Playoffs: Feb 26-28
- Single-elimination bracket.
- Best-of-three matches, Best-of-five Grand Final

Watch now: ThriveFantasy IEM Katowice 2021 Quarter-Final Preview | Presented by BanKs & Maniac

IEM Katowice 2021: Play-in results

Day 1 — February 16

Round	Match	Map 1	Map 2	Map 3
Upper Bracket R1	BIG 1-0 Movistar Riders	BIG: Inferno (16-6)	N/A
Upper Bracket R1	Team Spirit 1-0 Cloud9	SPT: Inferno (16-7)
Upper Bracket R1	Gambit 1-0 Team One	GMB: Train (16-5)
Upper Bracket R1	Renegades 0-1 mousesports	MOUZ: Inferno (16-14)
Upper Bracket R1	Virtus.pro 1-0 Wisła Kraków	VP: Inferno (16-10)
Upper Bracket R1	NiP 1-0 Complexity	NIP: Nuke (16-7)
Upper Bracket R1	OG 1-0 Fnatic	OG: Overpass (16-9)
Upper Bracket R1	Team Liquid 1-0 MIBR	TL: Vertigo (16-12)
Group Stage decider	Gambit 2-1 mousesports	MOUZ: Dust2 (16-11)	GMB: Inferno (16-12)	GMB: Vertigo (16-6)
Group Stage decider	Team Spirit 2-0 BIG	SPT: Overpass (16-11)	SPT: Mirage (16-13)	Dust2 (N/A)
Elimination Match	Movistar Riders 0-2 Cloud9	C9: Overpass (16-11)	C9: Nuke 19-16)	Inferno (N/A)
Group Stage decider	NiP 2-0 Virtus.pro	NIP: Overpass (16-13)	NIP: Dust2 (16-11)	Train (N/A)
Group Stage decider	Team Liquid 2-1 OG	TL: Mirage (16-7)	OG: Overpass (16-7)	TL: Nuke 16-14
Elimination Match	Team One 1-2 Renegades	ONE: Inferno (16-3)	RNG: Mirage (16-4)	RNG: Overpass (19-17)

Day 2 — February 17

	Match	Map 1	Map 2	Map 3
Elimination Match	Complexity 2-1 Wisla Krakow	COL: Inferno(16-5)	WIS: Mirage (19-16)	Nuke (16-9)
Elimination Match	MIBR 2-0 Fnatic	MIBR: Dust2 (16-12)	MIBR: (16-9)	Train (N/A)
Group Stage decider	Cloud9 1-2 OG	OG: Nuke (16-8)	C9: Overpass (16-11)	OG: Dust2 (16-12)
Group Stage decider	Virtus.pro 2-0 Renegades	VP: Vertigo (16-9)	VP: Dust2 (16-3)	Inferno (N/A)
Group Stage decider	mousesports 2-1 Complexity	COL: Mirgae (16-8)	MOUZ: Dust2 (19-17)	MOUZ: Nuke (16-3)
Group Stage decider	BIG 2-0 MIBR	BIG: Dust2 (16-3)	BIG: Nuke (16-7)	Mirage (N/A)

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IEM Katowice 2021: Group Stage results

Day 3 — February 18

Group A

Round	Match	Map 1	Map 2	Map 3
Upper Bracket R1	G2 1-2 Spirit	SPT: Train (16-14)	G2: Mirage (16-8)	SPT: Inferno (16-10)
Upper Bracket R1	Evil Geniuses 2-0 Gambit	EG: Overpass (16-13)	EG: Inferno (16-10)	Train (N/A)
Upper Bracket R1	Astralis 2-0 mousesports	AST: Nuke (16-8)	AST: Inferno (16-12)	Vertigo (N/A)
Upper Bracket R1	Heroic 2-0 BIG	HER: Inferno (16-12)	HER: Nuke (16-14)	Vertigo (N/A)

Group B

Round	Match	Map 1	Map 2	Map 3
Upper Bracket R1	Vitality 2-0 OG	VIT: Dust2 (16-11)	VIT: Nuke (19-17)	Overpass (N/A)
Upper Bracket R1	FaZe Clan 0-2 Liquid	TL: Mirage (16-11)	TL: Nuke (16-6)	Inferno (N/A)

Day 4 — February 19

Group B

Round	Match	Map 1	Map 2	Map 3
Upper Bracket R1	FURIA 2-0 NiP	FUR: Overpass (16-12)	FUR: Nuke (16-4)	Inferno (N/A)
Upper Bracket R1	Virtus.pro 0-2 Navi	NAVI: Dust2 (16-11)	NAVI: Train (16-9)	Inferno (N/A)

Group A

Round	Match	PST	EST	GMT
Upper Bracket R2	Evil Geniuses 0-2 Astralis	AST: Train (16-9)	AST: Dust2 (16-7)	Inferno (N/A)
Lower Bracket R1	Gambit 2-0 mousesports	GMB: Dust2 (16-11)	GMB: Vertigo (16-10)	Train (N/A)
Upper Bracket R2	Spirit 2-0 Heroic	SPT: Inferno (16-12)	SPT: Nuke (16-14)	Train (N/A)
Lower Bracket R1	G2 2-0 BIG	G2: Inferno (16-10)	G2: Mirage (16-12)	Vertigo (N/A)

Day 5 — February 20

Group A

Round	Match	Map 1	Map 2	Map 3
Lower Bracket R2	Heroic 1-2 Gambit	HER: Overpass (16-12)	GMB: Inferno (16-14)	GMB: Mirage (16-3)
Lower Bracket R2	Evil Geniuses 0-2 G2	G2: Train (16-14)	G2: Dust2 (16-14)	Inferno (N/A)

Group B

Round	Match	Map 1	Map 2	Map 3
Lower Bracket R1	OG 0-2 FaZe Clan	FAZE: Mirage (16-7)	FAZE: Dust2 (16-9)	Train (N/A)
Lower Bracket R1	NiP 0-2 Virtus.pro	VP: Inferno (16-9)	VP: Overpass (16-7)	Train (N/A)
Upper Bracket R2	Liquid 2-1 Vitality	VIT: Nuke (19-16)	TL: Vertigo (16-10)	VIT: Mirage (16-12)
Upper Bracket R2	FURIA 0-2 Navi	NAVI: Mirage (16-13)	NAVI: Nuke (16-8)	Inferno (N/A)

Day 6 — February 21

Group A

Round	Match	Map 1	Map 2	Map 3
Upper Bracket R3	Astralis 1-2 Spirit	AST: Inferno (16-11)	SPT: Train (16-13)	SPT: Dust2 (16-1)
Lower Bracket R3	Gambit 2-0 G2 Esports	GMB: Vertigo (16-11)	GMB: Dust2 (16-11)	Inferno (N/A)

Group B

Round	Match	Map 1	Map 2	Map 3
Lower Bracket R2	FURIA 2-1 FaZe Clan	FUR: Mirage (16-8)	FAZE: Overpass (16-14)	FUR: Train (16-4)
Lower Bracket R2	Team Vitality 0-2 Virtus.Pro	VP: Inferno (19-17)	VP: Overpass (16-12)	Dust 2 (N/A)
Upper Bracket R3	Team Liquid 2-1 Navi	TL: Overpass (16-14)	NAVI: Dust 2 (16-7)	TL: Inferno (22-19)
Lower Bracket R3	Virtus.Pro 2-0 Furia	VP: Overpass (16-14)	VP: Mirage (16-10)	Inferno (N/A)

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IEM Katowice 2021: Playoff results

Day 7 — February 26 (Quarter-finals)

Round	Match	Map 1	Map 2	Map 3
Dexerto’s Key Moment	Gambit 2-0 Navi	GAM: Overpass (16-12)	GAM Train (16-6)	Dust2 (N/A)
Dexerto’s Key Moment	Astralis 1-2 Virtus.pro	VP: Overpass (16-10)	AST: Train (16-12)	VP: Inferno (16-11)

Navi & Astralis suffer shock exit

Gambit pulled the upset against Navi in the CIS derby. The young squad swept s1mple’s team 2-1 with Overpass (16-12) and Train (16-6) going the way of Gambit. Sh1ro stepped up across the series, consistently clutching rounds and displaying a respectable 87.8 ADR.

Virtus.pro continued their great 2021 form by eliminating Astralis in a thrilling series. Overpass (16-10) went the way of VP, followed by Astralis taking Train (16-12). The Danes had no answer in the final map, as they witnessed YEKINDAR take control of Inferno (16-11) and bring home the bacon. The Latvian star consistently performed during the series, clocking out with 75 kills over the three maps.

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Day 8 — February 27 (Semi-finals)

Round	Match	Map 1	Map 2	Map 2
Dexerto’s Key Moment	Spirit 0-2 Gambit	GMB: Overpass (16-11)	GMB: Inferno (16-13)	Mirage (N/A)
Dexerto’s Key Moment	Team Liquid 0-2 Virtus.pro	VP: Dust 2 (16-9)	VP: Mirage (16-12)	Inferno (N/A)

Gambit &Virtus.pro sweep their way to an all-CIS Katowice final

Gambit swept Team Spirit to earn a spot in the grand finals. Ax1Le was their top performer, staying at the top of the scoreboard on both Overpass (16-11) and Inferno (16-13) with 48 kills at the end of the series.

Team Liquid were unable to stop the CIS region from dominating the Playoffs. Virtus.pro defeated the North Americans on Dust2 (16-9) and Mirage (16-12), with Jame finding impact with the AWP in almost every round.

Day 9 — February 28 (Grand Final)

Round	Match	Map 1	Map 2	Map 3	Map 4	Map 5
Dexerto’s Key Moment	Gambit 3-1 Virtus.pro	VP: Vertigo (16-14)	GMB: Dust2 (16-6)	GMB: Train (16-4)	GMB: Overpass (16-12)	Mirage (N/A)

Gambit defeat Virtus.pro to claim the Katowice trophy

The CIS showdown started with VP edging out Gambit on Vertigo (16-14), as YEKINDAR and Jame topped the scoreboard with 26 kills each. Gambit turned the series around on Dust2 (16-6) winning 10 rounds in a row to close out the map before continuing their domination on Train (16-4).

The youngsters finally took the trophy home after halting a potential VP comeback on Overpass (16-12). Hobbit led by example in the series, posting an impressive 90 frags over the four maps — alongside 106 ADR!

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