Fnatic lift IEM Katowice 2018 trophy
Fnatic claimed the IEM Katowice 2018 championship after a 3-2 thriller against FaZe in an all-European final for the Swedish side to claim the trophy and $250,000 first prize, as well as their first title in two years.
The final went to all five maps, with FaZe being the first team to throw down the gauntlet with a 16-5 demolition job on Cache. Fnatic had previously beaten FaZe 2-0 in this same tournament, and as such proved they were up to the challenge by winning an overtime thriller on Inferno 22-20, followed up with a simple 16-7 on Overpass. With Fnatic in the driving seat, FaZe knocked them down a notch to even the match with a 16-11 win on Mirage.
With the two sides, and this tournament, loving overtime it was no surprise that Train went that way too. With FaZe narrowly missing out on taking the game in the dying moments of regulation, the Swedish side swooped in to claim it 19-17. Their win also granted them a point in the Intel Grand Slam, meaning the Swedish side now have nine other events to potentially claim their prize.
Showings from the North American-based sides weren't bad, with Cloud9 and Liquid reaching top 6 in the tournament, and Liquid falling to the eventual champions. SK failed to escape the group stage after a defeat to Cloud9, as did Renegades.
The full results of IEM Katowice 2018 were:
1st: 
Fnatic - $250,000 + Intel Grand Slam point
2nd: 
FaZe - $100,000
3rd-4th: 
Astralis - $40,000
3rd-4th: 
Liquid - $40,000
5th-6th: NiP - $15,000
5th-6th: 
Cloud9 - $15,000
7th-8th: North - $7,000
7th-8th: 
SK - $7,000
9th-12th: 
Renegades - $4,000
9th-12th: 
Gambit - $4,000
9th-12th: Heroic - $4,000
9th-12th: 
G2 - $4,000
13th-16th: 
TyLoo - $2,500
13th-16th: 
Virtus.pro - $2,500
13th-16th: AVANGAR - $2,500
13th-16th: ORDER - $2,500
Cloud9 will next be in LAN action at the WESG World Finals, whereas Liquid currently have a clear calendar aside from ESL Pro League.
