The entrée for the Grand Final of IEM Katowice 2019 has been announced, and it’s all aboard the bandwagon for the best TOs in the game. Not to be outdone by Fortnite, PUBG and the rest, ESL and their partners have decided to stage a battle royale event as the warm-up to the Grand Final itself. The game will, of course, be Counter-Strike, meaning a move into Danger Zone, Valve’s shiny new BR area.
Details are thin on the ground right now, as we expect ESL are trying to convince professionals to stick around for a game when they will probably be out of the event proper by then. It seems their intention is to use pro players, with the announcement stating that ‘eight teams of two players will drop onto the main stage in Counter-Strike’s Battle Royale game mode to get the party’ and that the event will feature ‘some of the best players in the world’.
Memory map
What’s more, it seems as though Valve are supporting the event, and have offered a rather special prize to the winners of what is otherwise a fairly meaningless moment on a somewhat monumental day. The announcement article added that "the winning duo of this best-of-two series will be immortalized in the Danger Zone map. CSGO fans can expect an homage similar to Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev’s commemorative graffiti on Cache’s B bombsite, which was received to great acclaim on social media by fans of the game."
You can also expect some local interest in this part of the event, which is great news for an IEM Katowice that is missing any Polish pros in the real bracket. At some point during the final week, a Polish influencer showmatch will take place, with the best performers earning a spot in the battle royale match prior to the final itself, which represents a great opportunity for anyone involved, and a huge audience for their talents.
This is not the only good news for Poles, as it was also announed that the trophy itself will be handed out by Jarosław ‘pashaBiceps’ Jarząbkowski, formerly of Virtus.pro. Pasha is one of the most beloved players in the world, let alone Poland, and his presence on the final day is a welcome reminder of the great contribution Poland has made, and continues to make to the world of CSGO, and esports generally.
