Images courtesy of ESL
Ninjas in Pyjamas and Virtus.pro are the first teams confirmed to be competing in the Intel Extreme Masters World Championship Katowice 2017.
The legendary Swedish Counter-Strike squad Ninjas in Pyjamas and Polish powerhouse Virtus.pro are the first teams to be announced as competitors in the Intel Extreme Masters World Championship Katowice 2017. The tournament will kick off on March 1st, and go through the entire weekend, ending on the 5th; putting 12 of the world’s top teams on display as they compete for an impressive $250,000 prize pool, and the rights to raise the coveted IEM World Championship trophy when the dust settles.
Ninjas in Pyjamas, or NiP, are no strangers to competing in Katowice, and will go into the event with much to prove. After losing their legend status at ESL One Cologne, and failing to qualify for the ELEAGUE major in 2016; the team hopes that 2017 will be their turnaround year. A solid performance in Katowice would only further embellish this directive, and bring NiP back into the limelight as one of the world’s top CS:GO organizations.
Virtus.pro, whom are legends in their own respect, will be the hometown favorites going into Katowice, as they look to defend their turf in front of thousands of hopeful fans. Virtus.pro had a very successful 2016; with their biggest accomplishments being:
- 1st place at the StarLadder Invitational
- 3rd-4th place at ESL One Cologne
- 1st place at ELEAGUE Season 1
- 1st place at DreamHack Bucharest
- 2nd place at ESL One New York
- 2nd place at EPICENTER
The Intel Extreme Masters World Championship takes place on March 1st - 5th, 2017, in Katowice. Be sure to check back continually for updates, as GosuGamers will be your go-to resource for all things Katowice, come March.
