IEM Katowice play-in bracket revealed
ESL have announced the opening round of match-ups and the bracket for the play-in stage for IEM Katowice. The stage will feature 16 teams battling it out for eight qualification spots at the main tournament. With eight of those 16 teams being from the Americas region, NA and SA CS fans should keep a keen eye on the action when it kicks off on February 1st.
Thankfully, none of the Americas teams are set to face each other in the opening round. However, if top Brazilian side FURIA win their opening match against Permitta and Complexity win their tricky first round tie against BIG the two will be set to face each other in a qualification battle. It will not be the plane home for the loser though as they will instead go into the Lower bracket and get a second shot at qualifying to play in the Spodek Arena.
Further down the bracket are the rest of the Americas teams with EG also dealt a tough opening opponent in the William "mezii" Merriman led Fnatic. The last two Americas teams in the play-in stage are both of Brazilian origin with the recently ransacked MIBR hoping to overcome the loss of star rifler Jhonatan "JOTA" Willian in their match against NIP. Whilst Pain finds themselves up against the international squad of ENCE in their first match in Poland.
