ESL One Katowice 2015

Last updated
ESL One Katowice 2015
2015
ESL One Katowice 2015 Logo.png
The ESL One Katowice 2015 logo
Tournament information
Sport Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Location Katowice, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland
DatesMarch 12, 2015–March 15, 2015
Administrator Valve
ESL
Tournament
format(s)
16 team GSL group stage
Eight team single-elimination playoff
Venue Spodek Arena
Teams16 teams
Purse$250,000 USD
Final positions
Champions Fnatic (2nd title)
1st runners-up Ninjas in Pyjamas
2nd runners-up Team EnVyUs
Virtus.pro
MVP Olof "olofmeister" Kajbjer

ESL One Katowice 2015, also known as Katowice 2015, was the fifth Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major Championship, held from March 12 to March 15, 2015, at the Spodek Arena in Katowice, Poland. It was the first CS:GO Major of 2015. It was organized by Electronic Sports League with sponsorship from Valve. The tournament had a total prize pool of US$250,000. The defending champion was Team EnVyUs, whose roster had won the previous Major as Team LDLC.com.

Contents

Eight teams advanced from the group stage to a playoff bracket, earning "Legends" status and automatic qualification to the following Major. Fnatic, Team EnVyUs, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Virtus.pro, Natus Vincere, PENTA Sports, and Team SoloMid were returning Legends from the previous Major. Keyd Stars was the only new Legends and became the first South American team to play in a Major and qualify to the playoff bracket. HellRaisers lost its Legends status after losing to Counter Logic Gaming and Keyd Stars in the group stage. The grand finals featured two Swedish teams. Fnatic defeated PENTA Sports and Virtus.pro in the bracket while Ninjas in Pyjamas defeated Team SoloMid and Team EnVyUs on their way to the grand finals. Fnatic then beat Ninjas in Pyjamas 2–1 in the finals. [1] Fnatic became the first team to win a second Major, and remained the only team to do so until MIBR (attending Katowice 2015 as Keyd Stars) won MLG Columbus 2016 and ESL One Cologne 2016.

Format

The top eight teams from DreamHack Winter 2014 ("Legends") received direct invitations to Katowice. In addition, eight other teams (the "Challengers") emerged from offline qualifiers.

Teams were split up into four groups, and all group matches were best-of-ones. The highest seed would play the lowest seed in each group and the second and third seeds would play against each other. The winner of those two matches would play each other to determine which team moved on to the playoff stage, while the losers of the first round of matches also played. The loser of the lower match was then eliminated from the tournament. With one team advanced and one eliminated, the two remaining teams would play an elimination match for the second playoff spot. This format is known as the GSL format, named for the Global StarCraft II League. [2]

The playoffs bracket consisted of eight teams, two from each group. All of these matches were best-of-three, single elimination. Teams advanced in the bracket until a winner was decided.

Map Pool

The seven-map pool did not change from DreamHack Winter 2014. Before each match in the group stage, both teams banned two maps. The map for the match was then randomly selected from the remaining three maps. In the playoffs, each team first banned one map, then chose one map. The two chosen maps were the first two maps in the best-of-three. If the series were to require a third map, the map was randomly selected from the three remaining maps.

Maps
  • Cache
  • Cobblestone
  • Dust II
  • Inferno
  • Mirage
  • Nuke
  • Overpass

Main qualifier

The 16 teams at the main qualifier were separated into two groups of 8. The teams played in a double-elimination, best of one bracket. Four teams from each group, two from the winner's bracket and two from the loser's bracket, advanced to the Major.

Invited [a]
Regional Qualifiers
  1. ↑ Only seven teams received direct invites because four of the five players from Team iBUYPOWER were banned by Valve for their role in the North American match fixing scandal. [3] The bans were officially made permanent on January 5, 2016. [4]
  2. ↑ Team WinneR was found to be guilty of match fixing, so the team was disqualified. 3DMAX took the vacant spot. Players of ESC Gaming were also accused of match fixing, but they were cleared of any wrongdoing.
  3. ↑ The Polish roster of ESC Gaming was picked up by Gamers2. ESC Gaming would go on to pick up a Danish roster. [5] [6]

Group A

Upper round 1Upper round 2Qualified
Titan 28
PiTER24
Titan14
Counter Logic Gaming16
Counter Logic Gaming 16
Gamers2 14
Counter Logic Gaming
LGB eSports
Team Liquid 14
FlipSid3 Tactics 16
FlipSid3 Tactics11
LGB eSports16
Copenhagen Wolves 8
LGB eSports16
Lower round 1Lower round 2Qualified
FlipSid3 Tactics16
PiTER19PiTER3
Gamers217FlipSid3 Tactics
Titan
Titan16
Team Liquid10Copenhagen Wolves4
CPH Wolves16

Group B

Upper round 1Upper round 2Qualified
Cloud9 16
INSHOCK2
Cloud916
mousesports14
mousesports 16
KaBuM.TD10
Cloud9
Vox Eminor
3DMAX11
Vox Eminor16
Vox Eminor16
Team Dignitas13
ESC Gaming11
Team Dignitas 16
Lower round 1Lower round 2Qualified
Team Dignitas3
INSHOCK11KaBuM.TD16
KaBuM.TD16KaBuM.TD
3DMAX
mousesports8
3DMAX163DMAX16
ESC Gaming8

Broadcast Talent

Hosts

Analysts

Commentators

Observers

Teams

Legends
Main qualifier teams
  1. ↑ The roster of Team Dignitas was acquired by Team SoloMid. [7]
  2. ↑ Team EnVyUs acquired the full roster of Team LDLC.com. [8]

Group stage

Group A

PosTeamWLRFRARDPts
1 Fnatic 203210+226
2 Natus Vincere 213921+186
3Vox Eminor122234−123
4 FlipSid3 Tactics 02432−280
Group A matches
TeamScoreMapScoreTeam
Natus Vincere 16 Mirage 2 FlipSid3 Tactics
Fnatic 16 Inferno 3Vox Eminor
FlipSid3 Tactics2 Cache 16Vox Eminor
Natus Vincere7 Cobblestone 16Fnatic
Natus Vincere16 Inferno 3Vox Eminor

Group B

PosTeamWLRFRARDPts
1 Team EnVyUs 203222+106
2PENTA Sports213532+36
3LGB eSports123635+13
4 Titan 021832−140
Group B matches
TeamScoreMapScoreTeam
Team EnVyUs 16 Cobblestone 14 Titan
PENTA Sports3 Dust II 16LGB eSports
Team EnVyUs16 Cache 8LGB eSports
PENTA Sports16 Cache 4Titan
LGB eSports12 Dust II 16PENTA Sports

Group C

PosTeamWLRFRARDPts
1 Ninjas in Pyjamas 203216+166
2Keyd Stars214136+56
3 Counter Logic Gaming 123146−153
4HellRaisers022632−60
Group C matches
TeamScoreMapScoreTeam
Ninjas in Pyjamas 16 Inferno 9Keyd Stars
HellRaisers14 Nuke 16 Counter Logic Gaming
Ninjas in Pyjamas16 Mirage 7Counter Logic Gaming
HellRaisers12 Inferno 16Keyd Stars
Counter Logic Gaming8 Dust II 16Keyd Stars

Group D

PosTeamWLRFRARDPts
1 Virtus.pro 203216+166
2 Team SoloMid 214634+126
3 Cloud9 123546−113
43DMAX021532−170
Group D matches
TeamScoreMapScoreTeam
Virtus.pro 16 Overpass 53DMAX
Team SoloMid 14 Nuke 16 Cloud9
Virtus.pro16 Inferno 11Cloud9
Team SoloMid16 Nuke 103DMAX
Cloud98 Overpass 16Team SoloMid

Playoffs

The winner of each group played the runner-up of a different group for each quarterfinals match.

Bracket

Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
A1 Fnatic 2
B2 PENTA Sports 0
A1 Fnatic2
D1 Virtus.pro 0
D1 Virtus.pro 2
C2 Keyd Stars 1
A1 Fnatic2
C1 Ninjas in Pyjamas 1
B1 Team EnVyUs 2
A2 Natus Vincere 1
B1 Team EnVyUs 0
C1 Ninjas in Pyjamas2
C1 Ninjas in Pyjamas 2
D2 Team SoloMid 1

Quarterfinals

Fnatic vs. PENTA Sports

Casters: Deman & SPUNJ

Fnatic vs. PENTA Sports Scores
TeamScoreMapScoreTeam
Fnatic16 Inferno 8PENTA Sports
Fnatic16 Cache 7PENTA Sports
Fnatic–Overpass–PENTA Sports

Virtus.pro vs. Keyd Stars

Casters: TosspoT & seang@res

Virtus.pro vs. Keyd Stars Scores
TeamScoreMapScoreTeam
Virtus.pro16 Mirage 4Keyd Stars
Virtus.pro17 Overpass 19Keyd Stars
Virtus.pro16 Nuke 1Keyd Stars

Team EnVyUs vs. Natus Vincere

Casters: Pansy & natu

Team EnVyUs vs. Natus Vincere Scores
TeamScoreMapScoreTeam
Team EnVyUs16 Cache 12Natus Vincere
Team EnVyUs14 Dust II 16Natus Vincere
Team EnVyUs16 Mirage 3Natus Vincere

Ninjas in Pyjamas vs. Team SoloMid

Casters: Anders Blume & natu

Ninjas in Pyjamas vs. Team SoloMid Scores
TeamScoreMapScoreTeam
Ninjas in Pyjamas16 Dust II 8Team SoloMid
Ninjas in Pyjamas4 Inferno 16Team SoloMid
Ninjas in Pyjamas16 Nuke 12Team SoloMid

Semifinals

Fnatic vs. Virtus.pro

Casters: Anders Blume & SEMPHIS

Fnatic vs. Virtus.pro Scores
TeamScoreMapScoreTeam
Fnatic19 Cobblestone 17Virtus.pro
Fnatic16 Mirage 8Virtus.pro
Fnatic–Overpass–Virtus.pro

Team EnVyUs vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas

Casters: Deman & seang@res

Team EnVyUs vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas Scores
TeamScoreMapScoreTeam
Team EnVyUs9 Cache 16Ninjas in Pyjamas
Team EnVyUs10 Dust II 16Ninjas in Pyjamas
Team EnVyUs–Mirage–Ninjas in Pyjamas

Finals

Both teams in the final had at one point been considered the best team in the world, and the head-to-head was split right down the middle, with Fnatic having a 16–15 lead.

Casters: Anders Blume, TossopT, & seang@res

Fnatic vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas Scores
TeamScoreMapScoreTeam
Fnatic16 Dust II 14Ninjas in Pyjamas
Fnatic10 Cache 16Ninjas in Pyjamas
Fnatic16 Inferno 13Ninjas in Pyjamas

Final standings

PlaceTeamPrize MoneySeed for ESL One Cologne 2015 RosterCoach
1st Fnatic US$100,000Legends statusJW, flusha, pronax, olofmeister, KRiMZ Devilwalk
2nd Ninjas in Pyjamas US$50,000 f0rest, GeT RiGhT, Xizt, friberg, allu pita
3rd–4th Team EnVyUs US$22,000 kioShiMa, Happy, SmithZz, NBK, shox –
Virtus.pro TaZ, NEO, pashaBiceps, byali, Snaxkuben
5–8thKeyd StarsUS$10,000 FalleN, fer, steel, zqk, boltz–
Natus Vincere Edward, Zeus, starix, seized, GuardiaN Ugin
Team SoloMid karrigan, dev1ce, cajunb, dupreeh, Xyp9x 3k2
PENTA Sportsnex, Spidii, denis, kRYSTAL, TroubleyalexRr
9–12thVox EminorUS$2,000–SPUNJ, Havoc, jks, AZR, topguN–
LGB eSportsRUBINO, rain, jkaem, zEVES, Polly–
Cloud9 ShahZam, sgares, n0thing, shroud, Semphis–
Counter Logic Gaming hazed, reltuC, tarik, ptr, FNS–
13–16th Titan US$2,000 kennyS, Rpk, apEX, Maniac, Ex6TenZ–
FlipSid3 Tactics B1ad3, bondik, markeloff, WorldEdit, DavCost–
HellRaisersANGE1, kucher, flamie, Dosia, AdreN–
3DMAXdiSTURBED, natu, KHRN, stonde, xartE–

References

  1. ↑ "3 things we learned from ESL Katowice's Counter-Strike event". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on 20 December 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  2. ↑ Švejda, Milan. "Searching for the perfect format". HLTV.org. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  3. ↑ Lewis, Richard (January 15, 2015). "New evidence points to match-fixing at highest level of American Counter-Strike". Dot eSports. Archived from the original on May 30, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  4. ↑ Corporation, Valve (January 5, 2016). "A Follow Up to Integrity and Fair Play". Counter-Strike.net.
  5. ↑ Mira, Luis (February 11, 2015). "Gamers2 sign ex-ESC". HLTV.org.
  6. ↑ Park, Paul (February 11, 2015). "ESC Gaming acquires new CS:GO team". Score eSports.
  7. ↑ Walkowiak, Marek (January 25, 2015). "CS:GO squad move on". Team Dignitas . Archived from the original on January 28, 2015.
  8. ↑ Rahul (February 2, 2015). "TEAM ENVYUS ACQUIRE LDLC CS:GO ROSTER". GFinity.
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