ESL revealed the groups for the 24-player main event stage of IEM Katowice. One spot in each of the groups will be filled with a player from the play-in stage.
The format of the IEM Katowice 2021 main event is identical to that of past events, with the RO24 round-robin group stage (four groups of six players) followed by a 12-player single-elimination bracket.
IEM Katowice will be held from February 20th to February 28th, with $250,000 in total prize money on the line. Due to ongoing complications from the global pandemic, the competition will be held entirely online (more info here).
Seeding 20 of the spots and picking only 4 from the open bracket (as opposed to 12-12 in previous IEMs) has really made these groups more brutal than ever.
Group A looks so brutal and while Id put TY as a favorite I dont think anyone should feel safe there, a Clem Solar or Showtime playing at their best could easily make it out and even win the group, just waiting to get Byun in here from Ro36.
Group B looks like a Serral+Dark group with probably Innovation as well.
Group C Trap feels given at current standards, I expect Zest and Reynor to join him even tho Reynors perfomance after DH Fall finals have looked a bit lackluster (to Reynor standards that is). Heromarine or Astrea could cause an upset here.
Group D I find this group very hard to predict, my guess is that Stats and Cure is up there with the third spot very much up for grabs by anyone else in the group playing well.
On February 11 2021 04:42 Waxangel wrote: Seeding 20 of the spots and picking only 4 from the open bracket (as opposed to 12-12 in previous IEMs) has really made these groups more brutal than ever.
Also while being the highest seed usually means you have the advantage that the rest of your group becomes easier, group A has by far the highest EPT point total and Aligulac average if you remove the top seed of every group. Unusual to say the least to have a system that is the worst for the highest seeded player.
So I have to assume this was at least partially random draw because this arrangement doesn't seem like the result of any normal seeding system. I thought maybe they just went 1A, 2D, 3B, 4C for 5 rounds but that order doesn't hold up.
If this was full random draw (other than maybe player tiers like 1-4, 5-8, 9-12, 13-16, 17-20) that's hilarious.
I quite like this format with 20 seeded spots and 4 from the round of 36. It would be exhilarating if someone from the round of 36 made it all the way to the grand finals.
Trap and Serral seem to be the 2 favorites and they both have a good group draw it seems. Group A may be the strongest because it doesn't have as much of a weak link.
Sucks for me as all 3 of my favorite players are all in Group A. RIPPPP
On February 11 2021 04:42 Waxangel wrote: Seeding 20 of the spots and picking only 4 from the open bracket (as opposed to 12-12 in previous IEMs) has really made these groups more brutal than ever.
Also while being the highest seed usually means you have the advantage that the rest of your group becomes easier, group A has by far the highest EPT point total and Aligulac average if you remove the top seed of every group. Unusual to say the least to have a system that is the worst for the highest seeded player.
So I have to assume this was at least partially random draw because this arrangement doesn't seem like the result of any normal seeding system. I thought maybe they just went 1A, 2D, 3B, 4C for 5 rounds but that order doesn't hold up.
If this was full random draw (other than maybe player tiers like 1-4, 5-8, 9-12, 13-16, 17-20) that's hilarious.
Very odd indeed. Would be nice to hear from ESL on how they did this.
EPT
![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/EPT/Katowice2021/katowicero24groups.jpg)
