Trent Reinsmith
- What: CS:GO IEM Katowice 2023
- Date: Wednesday, February 1 – Sunday, February 12, 2023
- Location: Spodek Arena in Katowice, Poland
- How to Watch: Twitch
The 2023 edition of the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Katowice is upon us. The event runs from February 1 through February 12, 2023 and takes place at Spodek Arena in Katowice, Poland. The tournament features the 24 best CS:GO teams in the world. Up for grabs is a $1 million prize pool. Last year, FaZe Clan defeated G2 Esports in the finals of the 2022 CS:GO IEM Katowice. Both teams are in the running for the top prize of the 2023 version of the CS:GO event.
The play-in portion of the 2023 CS:GO IEM Katowice tournament begins on February 1. Sixteen teams are set to participate in that double-elimination portion of the event. The top eight teams from the play-in then join the eight teams that were directly invited into the event. Those 16 teams compete in the main stage of IEM Katowice in two double-elimination groups. The top six teams from those groups then compete in the single elimination playoffs, with the finals taking place on February 12.
The play-in teams are: Ninjas in Pyjamas, Team Spirit, Cloud9, Complexity Gaming, FURIA, MIBR, IHC, Grayhound, OG, ENCE, BIG, Sprout, PaiN Gaming, Evil Geniuses, Fnatic and Permitta Esports.
The eight direct invites are: FaZe Clan, Vitality, Outsiders, Heroic, Team Liquid, Natus Vincere, G2 Esports and MOUZ.
Before we dive into the betting picks for the 2023 CS:GO IEM Katowice tournament, check out our guide to CS:GO betting and the best sports betting apps and mobile options.
IEM Katowice CS:GO 2023 picks
| Teams |  |  |  |
| FaZe Clan | +400 | +400 | +400 |
| Heroic | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Natus Vincere | +600 | +600 | +600 |
| G2 Esports | +600 | +600 | +600 |
| Cloud9 | +700 | +700 | +700 |
| Outsiders | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| FURIA | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Team Liquid | +900 | +900 | +900 |
| Team Vitality | +900 | +900 | +900 |
| MOUZ | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Team Spirit | +1700 | +1700 | +1700 |
| OG | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
| Fnatic | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
| ENCE | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| BIG | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Ninjas in Pyjamas | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Sprout | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 |
| paiN Gaming | +6600 | +6600 | +6600 |
| Complexity | +6600 | +6600 | +6600 |
| Evil Geniuses | +6600 | +6600 | +6600 |
| MIBR | +7500 | +7500 | +7500 |
| Permitta Esports | +15000 | +15000 | +15000 |
| IHC | +50000 | +50000 | +50000 |
| Grayhound | +50000 | +50000 | +50000 |
FaZe Clan
The winners of the 2022 version of this event, FaZE Clan, is favored to win once again in 2023. The team had a fantastic year in 2022, winning the PGL Major Antwerp and Cologne Masters, as well as the 2022 IEM Katowice. With those three victories alone, FaZe Clan took home $1.3 million in prize money. However, there could be some worry about FaZe Clan heading into this event because they finished 2022 in second place at the BLAST Fall Finals and dropped to 3rd-4th in the BLAST World Final in December.
Every member of the 2022 team is back for this event.
Heroic
Heroic finished the 2022 CS:GO IEM Katowice tournament in 3rd-4th. While Heroic started 2022 outside the top two, they finished the year strong with a runner-up spot in the Rio Major and then a first-place finish the BLAST Fall Finals. The team also won the Pinnacle Winter Series No. 3 and Pinnacle Cup Championship events. While Heroic might not get the attention of a team like FaZe Clan, they did have a strong year last year and could be in the running to win this event in 2023.
Heroic has had some line-up changes since the 2022 CS:GO IEM Katowice event. The new members of the team are Jabbi and coach Xizt.
G2 Esports
The runner-up to FaZe Clan in the 2022 CS:GO IEM Katowice event, G2 Esports failed to get back to the finals of any event in 2022 until they won the BLAST Premier: World Final in December. That shows the resiliency of this team. They might have been down for the year, but they never counted themselves out and finished the year on a high note. That fact should give G2 Esports confidence heading into the 2023 CS:GO IEM Katowice tournament.
G2 has two new members of the team since last year’s event, jks and HooXi, who both joined the club in August.
Best bet to win IEM Katowice CS:GO 2023
With the way they played throughout 2022 and the fact that they have the same team on board that won this event in 2022, the best bet is for FaZe Clan to win the 2023 edition of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Intel Extreme Masters Katowice.
Pick: FaZe Clan to win IEM Katowice CS:GO 2023.
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