CS2’s Debut Professional Matches: IEM Sydney 2023 Group Stage Review
radoslaw-davidovic
The first CS2 tournament is upon us! It has been some time since the release for teams to adjust to the new style of play, and finally, today, we will discuss IEM Sydney 2023, specifically the Group Stage. We will share the most interesting things, show you the highlights, and review all we have seen from the teams’ performances in the first CS2 tournament.
In article you will find:
IEM Sydney 2023: Why is it important?
We all understand that IEM Sydney 2023 is the first tournament in CS2, and it is impossible to expect anything incredible from the teams. However, everyone is interested to see how the game has changed, how the players have adapted, highlight the unclear moments and how the pro players get out of them, and finally figure out the new MR12 round system.
Players actively playing CS2 are already familiar with this system and understand how it works. Still, this is new information for those just following eSports, so let’s take a closer look.
MR12 is a new round system that now contains only 12 rounds in the first half of the game and requires 13 rounds to win. Everything is the same as before, but with fewer rounds, leading to several important changes.
First, it is unclear how to play to have a good economy. The smaller number of rounds means that CT side players do not want to play a second ECO round if they lose the first. Increasingly, players are noticing a trend in which the defending side tries to minimize their spending in the first round to have enough money for a force buy in the second round if they lose the first.
The second is that fans who watch the game benefit the most from this system. The previous system of up to 16 rounds was too long, and many fans could not follow the game for so long, especially in the grand final, where teams play BO5.
It was not uncommon for teams to play all five maps on the pro scene. Some were with overtime, so one match could last more than 5 hours. Therefore, MR12 solves this problem.
Let’s go back to the tournament. The tournament was attended by 16 teams, of which only six advanced to the Playoff Stage. The tournament’s main prize is $100,000, and a ticket to Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2024 will be awarded to the team that finishes in first place.
Group A
Here are the teams seeded into Group A:
- Team Vitality
- BetBoom Team
- FaZe Clan
- GamerLegion
- Natus Vincere
- Apeks
- VERTEX ESC
- MOUZ
At first, teams played best-of-one matches to determine who would advance to the upper bracket and who would fall to the lower bracket to fight for their lives.
All four teams that lost their first matches, Team Vitality, FaZe Clan, Apeks, and VERTEX ESC, were forced to fight for their lives in the lower bracket. Only FaZe was able to advance to the upper bracket.
First, FaZe lost to GamerLegion with a 15:19 score, which put them in the lower bracket. But they beat Vitality with a 2:1 score and then won against NAVI with a 2:1 score. In the lower bracket final, they won against GamerLegion in a close 2:1 match.
We’d like to talk about NAVI. This time, the team had an unusual lineup because their main star player, “s1mple,” couldn’t participate in this tournament. Instead, their coach, Andrij “B1ad3” Ghorodensjkyj, stepped in as the fifth player and tried to perform well.
It’s important to note that “B1ad3” hadn’t played professionally for five years. The organization even made some jokes about this situation.
In the upper bracket of Group A, BetBoom Team faced off against GamerLegion and defeated them with a 2:0 score. Meanwhile, MOUZ went up against Natus Vincere in a tense match and secured a victory with a 2:1 score.
With their previous victories, MOUZ and BetBoom had already guaranteed their spots in the Playoff Stage. However, their match would determine their exact place in the Playoffs. The winner would immediately advance to the Semifinals.
In this match, the first map was Mirage and MOUZ narrowly managed to overcome their opponents, winning 19:15. But the next map was Ancient, picked by BetBoom.
The score quickly evened out as BetBoom demonstrated strong gameplay on Ancient, easily securing the map. However, the decisive moment came on Overpass, where MOUZ proved stronger, taking the map with a 13:10 score.
Let’s move on to the Group B.
Group B
Here are the teams seeded into Group B:
- ENCE
- Lynn Vision
- Cloud9
- Fnatic
- Monte
- Complexity
- Grayhound
- G2 Esports
Unfortunately, Lynn Vision, Cloud9, Monte, and Grayhound all lost their first matches and ended up in the lower bracket. Cloud9 and Monte successfully defeated their opponents and awaited their turn while someone from the upper bracket would drop down.
In due course, Complexity entered the lower bracket, facing Cloud9 and Fnatic, who were already waiting for Monte. The winners of these matches were Monte and Complexity. Once again, Monte clashed with Complexity. The rematch occurred, but Complexity again triumphed over their opponents, advancing to the playoffs with a 2:0 score.
From the upper bracket, ENCE defeated Fnatic, and G2 Esports triumphed over Complexity. After these victories, they faced each other to compete for a place in the tournament’s Semifinals.
The first map in their encounter was Ancient, picked by G2. The beginning of the map favored G2 as they easily secured a 4:0 lead as terrorists and had a strong economy. However, ENCE managed to mount a comeback, albeit for just a few rounds. G2 closed the first half with a 7:5 score.
In the second half, G2 pressed their advantage and secured a victory with a 13:9 score.
The second map was Vertigo. The first half was relatively close, with ENCE leading 7:5. However, once G2 switched to the terrorist side, ENCE’s defense faltered, and G2 won eight rounds in a row to claim victory.
Summary and Highlights of the IEM Sydney 2023 Tournament
Watching every game, we can say that many teams were poorly prepared for CS2. Several factors have influenced the game. Some teams had substitutions, and they couldn’t showcase confident gameplay. Adapting to the new MR12 system was challenging for some teams, but the most significant issues were observed in teams dealing with the new smokes and grenades.
It was apparent that many teams had difficulty executing Molotov cocktails on locations like Playground or Toxic near the B bombsite on Overpass. Additionally, some players haven’t mastered their shooting techniques, and their spray control is lacking.
These are not the only problems. There are also in-game bugs. Even Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev recently shared some amusing bugs still present in the game and advised against playing it for three months until all the bugs are fixed.
It’s fantastic that, before the game starts, viewers are shown the entire map and different positions on it when watching the stream. It’s very informative and interesting content.
The first Playoff match will take place on October 20. Don’t miss this event and cheer for your favorite team. Now, let’s take a look at the highlights from the Group Stage.
Wrapping It Up
After the conclusion of the Group Stage, the Playoff bracket for IEM Sydney 2023 has been determined. G2 and MOUZ have emerged as the strongest teams and await their opponents in the Semifinals.
In the Quarterfinals, we will witness clashes between FaZe, Complexity, ENCE, and BetBoom. The next match will take place on October 20, and we’re already looking forward to this tournament’s excitement.
Cheer for your favorite team, and stay updated by reading our blog!
Radosław Davidović is Hellcase’s customer success manager. He enjoys blogging to share his knowledge and experience with customers.