Vitality, Virtus.pro round out IEM Katowice 2022 EPT invites

13-12-2021 20:34

Four teams who will field new rosters are slated to attend the main event in Poland.

The eight ESL Pro Tour invites to the IEM Katowice 2022 main event have been determined, with Vitality and Virtus.pro securing the final spots after their placements at IEM Winter, winning the event and finishing in 3-4th place, respectively.

The $1,000,000 Masters-level event from ESL will feature both the defending champions of the previous online iteration of the tournament, Gambit, as well as the winners of IEM Katowice 2020 in Natus Vincere.

Oleksandr "⁠s1mple⁠" Kostyliev and company are sure-fire favorites to take the title after demonstrating insurmountable form in the latter half of 2021, but the event will also feature a number of long-awaited new rosters that will look to put a halt to the CIS giant's run of tournament wins.

Vitality will attend Katowice with their new roster

The aforementioned Vitality roster should take part in the event with their long-rumored international composition, featuring the additions of Emil "⁠Magisk⁠" Reif, Peter "⁠dupreeh⁠" Rasmussen, and Danny "⁠zonic⁠" Sørensen, while Ilya "⁠m0NESY⁠" Osipov is all but guaranteed to step up to bat for G2 in a true test against tier one opposition.

Both Liquid and FURIA are also set to make appearances with new rosters, the former with the rumored trio of Richard "⁠shox⁠" Papillon, Nick "⁠nitr0⁠" Cannella, and Josh "⁠oSee⁠" Ohm, and the latter who have yet to reveal a replacement for Vinicius "⁠VINI⁠" Figueiredo.

HEROIC, one of the few teams not linked to a change heading into the new year, will hope to bounce back after a poor run of form toward the end of the year following early eliminations from the BLAST Premier Fall Final and IEM Winter.

The team list for IEM Katowice currently looks as follows:

Main Event

Play-In

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAA

2021-12-13 20:34

12 replies

faze again the easyest group, such an undeserved spot

2021-12-13 20:35

10 replies

that's not the groups already, just a list lmao

2021-12-13 20:41

8/8

2021-12-13 20:43

More teams to come😥

2021-12-13 20:57

FaZe are never in the easiest group lmao

2021-12-13 21:58

3 replies

FaZe themselves make any group easier

2021-12-13 22:16

2 replies

LMAO

2021-12-14 00:53

if there is only top 5 teams then i'd say probably true

2021-12-14 03:00

those are not groups dude

2021-12-13 22:22

6/8

2021-12-14 02:44

navi fan brain

2021-12-14 15:35

What's so funny?

VP in the title along with a Polish flag is some real nostalgia

4 replies

Did the same to me

2021-12-13 20:44

2021-12-13 21:32

was about to write the same thing :(

2021-12-13 22:54

2021-12-14 03:05

bruh

SIUUUU

VforVictory

5 replies

V for vp not vitality KEK

2021-12-13 20:36

Well, it didn't work out for Yekindar to yell against Vitality in the recent IEM Winter because they got 2-0.

2021-12-13 20:39

Im yoking man :D Thats why I tried to refer to, Yekindar shouted it at the major, then got it back from apex :D

1 reply

Yeah, I'm joking too because I remember when Yekindar yelled against Vitality when Virtus.pro won against Vitality in IEM Fall 2021 Europe and Blast i believe it was a 16-14 score.

revenged twitter.com/ESLCS/status/146973322964939..

2021-12-13 20:47

Pog

OG nowhere of course

Who could be the other 8 Teams for the play-in stage?

World ranking invites. As of now it's BIG, OG, MOUZ, CPHF (Complexity), Fnatic, ENCE, MAD Lions and Entropiq

2021-12-13 20:45

2021-12-13 21:05

Please no omegalulG

2021-12-14 11:40

well deserved #GOGOVP

2021-12-13 20:37

deserved

2021-12-13 20:38

Ohhh VP+Polish flag I felt nostalgia mens(((

Dude I still don’t see how adding shox makes any sense. It’s just so random.

7 replies

prob to have him awp or igl depending on what they have nitro doing. Not the worst pickup but it's definitely an odd one compared to how the rest of the roster is

2021-12-13 21:00

Why would they need Shox to awp if they are bringing oSee

2021-12-13 22:02

honestly I forgot they were getting oSee I was remembering earlier reports that didn't have him in

2021-12-14 05:32

I don't see why kicking shox makes any sense

2021-12-14 02:06

From vitality?

2021-12-14 02:22

Yup , they are clearly the 2nd best in the world atm and have beaten Navi in the past

2021-12-14 14:02

How about Liquid tho beating Navi eh Liquid was always the one team that could beat them.

2021-12-14 20:29

Is og where ?

2021-12-13 20:46

didnt make it with points, i dont think they are in one of those qualifers so i guess its over

2021-12-13 20:56

iirc they are still 7 slots from esl ranking

2021-12-13 21:04

ok but with potential roster changes, im not so sure

after roster change yeah, it might be kinda hard

2021-12-13 21:06

understatement of the centruy🤣 they are in a hole

2021-12-13 21:07

They will get invite from ESL ranking

OG mediocre and management too dumb to step up...

2021-12-13 21:33

anyone else thought polish VP?

play-ins oof they will make it 😎👍

Easy tournament for wisla krakow.

2021-12-13 21:02

MIBR KEKW

2021-12-13 21:13

damn VP + Polish flag old but gold times :(

2021-12-13 21:15

I’m throwing hands right now

2021-12-13 21:26

wisla krakow best PL team?

theres no best pl team cuz all are the same crap

2021-12-13 21:46

why wisla get home invite? oh they won PL championship?

2021-12-13 21:51

idk and idc as long as they keep sucking

2021-12-13 22:12

only hope for PL is dycha and mb hades tbh

2021-12-13 22:15

they won a qualification tournament ESL Polish championsship and as a poland guy yes that was clash of trash sooo at this moment yeah wisla is the best

2021-12-13 23:08