IEM Cologne 2023 Group Stage Overview: Exciting Highlights & Top Performances
radoslaw-davidovic
We are observing the inaugural major tournament following a lengthy break – Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2023. It’s not just a large tournament with a prize pool of $1,000,000. Beyond the substantial winnings, this event offers teams the chance to amass valuable BLAST Premier points and secure an invitation to the forthcoming IEM Katowice 2024, where players will compete in CS2.
Additionally, for teams that have revamped their roster, this presents an opportunity to display their prowess. So, prepare for an enticing overview as we commence with the first phase of the tournament: the Group Stage.
In article you will find:
IEM Cologne 2023: Play-In Stage
Let’s start by discussing what took place in the Group Stage, beginning with the Play-In Stage. This initial phase involved 16 out of the total 24 teams. These 16 teams didn’t receive direct invites to the tournament, so they needed to win against their opponents to move on to the next stage.
On the first day, 12 matches were played, and based on the outcomes, four teams were eliminated from the tournament.
Here are the teams that were knocked out after the first day:
- Grayhound
- BIG
- Complexity
- Into The Breach
These teams couldn’t secure a victory against their first opponents, and even in the Lower Bracket, they couldn’t overcome their next challengers.
During Upper Bracket Round 2, eight matches were played among 16 teams. Out of these, eight teams advanced to the Group Stage, while four defeated teams left the tournament.
MOUZ, Fnatic, Astralis, and Monte secured victories against their opponents in the Upper Bracket Play-in Stage, earning spots in the Group Stage.
In the Lower Bracket, the following matchups took place:
- FURIA Esports vs The MongolZ
- Apeks vs OG
- 9INE vs Team Liquid
- Ninjas in Pyjamas vs Imperial Esports
The MongolZ, OG, 9INE, and Ninjas in Pyjamas were winners in these matches. They moved on to the next stage while the lost teams bid farewell to the tournament.
It leaves us with eight teams that successfully passed the Play-in Stage and joined the invited teams and those from the play-in stage. Altogether, 16 teams competed for spots in the Playoff Stage.
IEM Cologne 2023: Group A
Traditionally, the groups start with a set of Best-of-3 matches. A team must win on two maps to win against an opponent. If a team loses their first match in the Upper Bracket, they can still compete in the Lower Bracket. However, if a team loses two matches in a row, they are out of the tournament.
Here are the teams seeded into Group A:
- Heroic
- The MongolZ
- Monte
- GamerLegion
- Cloud9
- Fnatic
- 9INE
- ENCE
Upper Bracket Quarterfinals
In the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals, the initial matches of Group A were Heroic vs The MongolZ, Monte vs GamerLegion, Cloud9 vs Fnatic and 9INE vs ENCE.
Heroic vs The MongolZ
Heroic were seen as the favorites for this match, a view shared by experts. However, The MongolZ put up an impressive fight, winning the first map and competing strongly in every round across all three maps.
After losing the first map, Heroic realized that rushing to finish the game quickly wouldn’t be wise, as it could lead to defeat. Learning from their mistakes, Heroic played more cautiously and managed to secure a victory over The MongolZ.
Monte vs GamerLegion
In the first match of Group A, we saw a game between Monte and GamerLegion. Monte had been exclusively playing on Mirage at the BLAST Premier Fall Groups, and GamerLegion should have been aware of this. However, they didn’t ban it, resulting in the teams playing the first map on Mirage, with a 16:8 score favoring Monte.
Later, the Ukrainian team overcame GamerLegion on Overpass with a 16:11 score. It’s possible that if GamerLegion had banned Mirage, things would have turned out quite differently.
Cloud9 vs Fnatic
Right after the Monte vs GamerLegion match, the game between Cloud9 and Fnatic kicked off. Despite Fnatic picking Vertigo, they narrowly lost with a 16:13 score, despite coming close to turning the situation around.
The following map was Anubis, and here Fnatic showed strong gameplay and won the map 16:10. The third map was the most intense of all, as both teams reached a tie of 15:15. In the overtime series, Fnatic secured the victory with a 19:16 score.
9INE vs ENCE
The last match in the Upper Bracket of Group A featured teams 9INE and ENCE. On the first map, Vertigo, 9INE, dominated with a convincing 16:4 score, outplaying their opponent in every round. ENCE picked Nuke, a map they have significant experience on, which helped them secure some initial rounds and regain their morale after the previous game.
ENCE managed to win on Nuke with a 16:11 score and continued their success on Mirage with a 19:15 score. It was an exciting and tense match that we recommend watching.
Upper Bracket Semifinals
Right here, the two winners who were assuredly advanced to the Playoff Stage were determined. They had to compete in the upper bracket final to determine their rankings. For the teams that suffered defeat, there was still a chance in the lower bracket.
Heroic vs Monte
These teams played two maps, Mirage and Overpass. Heroic managed to outperform Monte on both maps. While it wasn’t a complete domination by Heroic, they played crucial moments well. When they were close to losing, they took a break and changed their strategy, which helped them beat Monte.
Fnatic vs ENCE
In this match, the situation was similarly uncertain. Fnatic initially had a lead, finishing the first half at 8:7. However, after switching sides, they lost the first map with a 16:13 score. The second map was quite straightforward for ENCE. They won 11 rounds in the first half and kept their momentum in the second half, defeating their opponent with a 16:11 score.
Upper Bracket Final
At this point were the two winners who were assured a spot in the playoff stage. However, they competed in the upper bracket final to determine their rankings.
Heroic vs ENCE
The first map, Nuke, started evenly for both teams, with a small difference of 8:7. However, once ENCE switched to the CT side, the game shifted, and they won with a 16:12 score. The second map was Overpass, picked by Heroic. Their practice during the summer break paid off, and they won with a 16:8 score.
Mirage was the deciding map and the most memorable for us. Both teams showcased intriguing tactical moves. The first half was close but intense, with Heroic leading 8:7. Heroic gained an 11:8 advantage after switching sides, but a mistake in the 20-round gave ENCE the upper hand. ENCE eventually won the match with a 16:14 score.
Lower Bracket Final
There’s no need to analyze the entire Lower Bracket because our main focus is the final. We care which teams could make it to the Playoff Stage after being defeated earlier.
In the final, two teams met in a knockout match where the victor advanced to the playoffs. The winner moved on to the Playoffs. So, winning this match is crucial. There won’t be another opportunity!
GamerLegion vs Cloud9
These teams made it through a tough journey and met in the final. GamerLegion picked Inferno and won the map 16:11. Next, Cloud9 picked Ancient, and the situation mirrored the second map, but this time from Cloud9’s perspective. They easily won the match by 16:11 and moved on to the crucial third map.
Mirage was the deciding third map, where both teams reached a 15:15 score, and in the overtime series, Cloud9 eventually gained the upper hand over their opponent, clinching the victory with a 19:17 score.
IEM Cologne 2023 Group B
The rules are identical to those in Group A. As usual, the groups start with a round of Best-of-3 matches. A team must triumph on two maps to win against an opponent. Even if a team loses their first Upper Bracket match, they can still compete in the Lower Bracket. However, losing two matches in a row means they’re out of the tournament.
Here are the teams seeded into Group B:
- Team Vitality
- OG
- MOUZ
- Natus Vincere
- G2 Esports
- Astralis
- Ninjas in Pyjamas
- FaZe Clan
Upper Bracket Quarterfinals
If a team is defeated in this stage, they can still make a comeback in the Lower Bracket.
Team Vitality vs OG
In the first match of Group B, Vitality faced off against OG and secured a quick victory. They won on Mirage with a 16:6 score and continued their success on Anubis with a 16:13 score. The game was challenging but played at a fast pace.
Natus Vincere vs MOUZ
The teams started on Ancient, and MOUZ, picking it, showcased strong defense that NAVI couldn’t overcome. MOUZ won convincingly with a 16:9 score.
The second map was more interesting as neither team had clear dominance, resulting in more balanced gameplay. However, Overpass proved to be a suboptimal pick for Natus Vincere, and they lost it. MOUZ secured the victory with a 16:12 score.
G2 Esports vs Astralis
G2 seemed consistently ahead throughout the match, and although Astralis managed to win the first map, the following two maps saw weaker performances. Also, G2 easily won the next two maps and emerged as the victors.
Ninjas in Pyjamas vs FaZe Clan
In this match, FaZe took the lead. They lost the first map with a 16:14 score but then dominated on the next two maps, preventing their opponent from even getting eight rounds. The final score was 2:1 in favor of FaZe, though it could have easily been a clean 2:0.
Upper Bracket Semifinals
The winners of these matches secure a place in the Playoff Stage.
Team Vitality vs MOUZ
The game was one-sided. Vitality dominated right from the start, defeating its opponent on Inferno with a 16:4 score, followed by a 16:5 victory on Mirage.
G2 Esports vs FaZe Clan
It’s unclear why FaZe didn’t ban Inferno, considering it’s one of G2’s signature maps. Their decision led to a loss on Inferno with a 16:4 score. FaZe then picked the second map, but things didn’t improve, and G2 won.
Upper Bracket Final
Similar to the previous Group A, the victory might seem less crucial at first glance, as both teams advance to the Playoffs. However, the winning team secures a spot in the Playoffs and advances directly to the Semifinals, providing a better chance at tournament victory.
Team Vitality vs G2 Esports
The first map, Inferno, was an intense and diverse encounter, reaching a 15:15 scoreline before the French team secured an overtime victory. However, Vitality struggled on the second map, Vertigo, losing 16:10.
All hopes rested on the third map, Mirage, for both teams. G2 had a better gameplay experience on this map, as demonstrated in their 16:8 victory, advancing to the Semifinals of the Playoffs.
Lower Bracket Final
Two teams without room for defeat were battling for the final playoff spot as the loser left the tournament.
Natus Vincere vs Astralis
Arguably the most captivating match in the Group Stage, the teams brought true suspense to the first map. Numerous additional rounds led to Astralis securing the first map with a 25:23 score.
The following map was Nuke, picked by NAVI. It’s one of the signature maps of Natus Vincere, as they demonstrated by winning 16:9. However, the third map, Overpass, posed challenges for NAVI. Despite s1mple’s standout performance, they couldn’t secure a victory on this map.
To sum it up, the Playoff Stage shapes up as follows.
IEM Cologne 2023: Highlights Collection
Here, we’ve gathered highlights during the Group Stage of the IEM Cologne 2023.
Wrapping Up!
The Group Stage has finished, bringing many emotions, wins, and sadness for the teams that left the competition. But this is just the first big tournament after the summer break, so the teams that didn’t make it still have plenty of time to prove themselves. And for the teams that moved forward, we wish them success, as the Playoffs of the Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2023 are starting very soon!
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Radosław Davidović is Hellcase’s customer success manager. He enjoys blogging to share his knowledge and experience with customers.