Written by Josh Raven

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Predicting the eventual champion of the upcoming IEM Katowice seems like an almost impossible task. The guest list contains more potential champions than it does ‘filler teams’, and some of those expecting to challenge late into the playoff stage won’t even make it out of groups. Katowice brings together some of the best lineups after the roster shakeup that took place upon the conclusion of the ELeague major. New French ‘superteam’ G2 Esports couldn’t attend, but will undoubtedly be watching on from home, getting a peek at their biggest rivals for the top spots in 2017.

The home side Virtus Pro will certainly enjoy the majority of fan support at the Spodek Arena, and those fans will be hoping that one of the few lineups that hasn’t changed in the past few months can take home their 2nd trophy in a row. Superstar Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski continues to show why he’s considered the best player in the world by many. This time last year, VP were starting one of the biggest slumps they’ve ever encountered. Fans called for roster changes, Wiktor “TaZ” Wojtas literally didn’t give a fuck and now the legendary side could be kickstarting a glorious campaign.

Virtus Pro at DreamHack in 2015. Photo -  Sebastian Ekman.  

The resurgence of Virtus Pro is timed impeccably well if you’re a fan of fantastic Counter-Strike. They’re not the only team enjoying a rise in form. In just their group B alone you have an SK fresh off the back of a runners up medal in the debut of Joao “Felps” Vasconcellos. The Brazilian side looks as hungry as ever to return to the level that saw them claim two major victories in 2016. The ‘almost team’ North will try to take their game to the next level and remove themselves from under the thumb of Danish rivals Astralis. While Na’Vi desperately try to stable themselves after an inauspicious start to the year, hoping not to get left behind as some older threats re-emerge.

The mouth watering prospect that is Nikola “Niko” Kovac finally joining the server with teammates capable of matching his firepower is the headline of the tournament for many. The Bosnian superstar has finally shed the dead weight that was Mousesports, and will be looking to collect his first major trophy of his career, one that’s been a long time coming. Though the onus is on Niko to to bring his monstrous Mouz performances to FaZe, his new team will also be looking to push forward, as their slow creep to becoming a championship contender reaches a critical moment.

Meeting them in the group stage is a ‘rejuvenated’ Fnatic. In the worlds of Robin “Flusha” Ronnquist, his team has “got their motivation back” after the legendary Fnatic roster reformed just a few weeks ago. The Godsent experiment didn’t pan out, but the boys are back in town, and you can never count out the side that just a few months ago won six tournaments in a row. The team lost out to an unstoppable Virtus Pro in Las Vegas, and Katowice might be a little too soon to mount a serious title challenge, but a hungry Fnatic is seemingly capable of anything.

With those two alone, you’d expect a fierce battle for the top of the group; however it’s the fact that major champions Astralis will also compete in group A that takes things to another level. The number one team in the world looked a little less clinical at Dreamhack Las Vegas, but nevertheless remain as the pack leaders as 2017 starts to take shape. Virtus Pro are hot on their heels after striking the jackpot last weekend, and Katowice could play host to the third playoff meeting between the sides this year, as the Polish side line up in the opposite group.

All this is before even considering the upset potential that lies in a slumping NiP, the always dangerous Immortals and Optic Gaming, the veterans of Cloud 9, and the fresh faced newcomers Heroic. This is one tournament that certainly doesn’t lack in talent, and while a top three finish would be a surprise from these underdogs, the fact that they’re even considered underdogs shows the level that IEM Katowice will bring.

And this could just be the beginning.

The ELeague major was considered by many to have been one of the best of all time, while it’s almost unanimously believed that Astralis’s 2-1 victory over Virtus Pro was indeed the greatest major final there has ever been. Yet even after such an outstanding tournament, the level has only risen. Any number of these teams could establish themselves as the dominant force in CS:GO over the coming months, and for one, Katowice could be the tournament they look back to as the catalyst for such a rise.

In 2016, we got a taste of what it’s like to not have one team sat atop the rest, claiming the majority of tournament victories. Over the course of several weeks towards the end of the year, it was a carousel of champions as no side managed to string together back to back tournament wins, and that trend isn’t likely to stop this year. Astralis and Virtus Pro exchanged blows early on, but you’d be remiss in thinking that SK Gaming, Faze, Fnatic, Na’Vi, G2 Esports, North, and even NiP won’t be expecting to add to their already glistening trophy cases.

It’ll certainly be worth tuning into IEM Katowice when the action kicks off on Wednesday this week. Some of these behemoths will face off as early as the group stage, with games like Astralis vs Faze, SK vs VP, and Na’Vi vs North set to ensure an explosive start to one of the most exciting events on the CS:GO calendar. Will we get a third champion of 2017 in just over two months? Or can Astralis or Virtus Pro assert their claim to the throne?

Exciting times lay ahead for CS:GO fans, and whether you cheer for a specific lineup or not, there will certainly be no shortage of incredible players, matches, and rivalries this year. The golden era of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is upon us, and IEM Katowice will be just one of many memorable events in 2017.

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Header image courtesy of ESL's Flickr by Patrick Strack.