Teams prepare for ESL One Katowice 2019

Title image courtesy of ESL 

Here's the down and dirty of all things ESL ONe Katowice 2019 set to commence tomorrow, February 19th. 

Katowice, Poland. An emerging metropolis and known center of youth, culture, and industry. A city nestled in the Southern part of Poland tucked away into the Eastern European region. An esports Mecca now synonymous with some of the biggest names in the gaming industry: - IEM and ESL. Only a few years ago, not many would have given a second thought to the 11th largest city in Poland becoming the esports capital of the world, but the city officials saw and seized an opportunity. They envisioned a future where the city would bustle and grow under a contract that would bring esports to the city once a year for the next five years. A partnership that could put the city on the global map and give a then-burgeoning industry a place to call home.

Since 2014, Katowice has been a hotspot -- hosting one of the largest esports themed expos in the world,  EMS and IEM CS:GO world championships as well as Dota 2 Major and Premier level LANs. Hand over fist, year after year, Katowice edges closer to sitting on the cusp as leaders of event innovation and fan attendance.

This weekend, up to 10,000 passionate fans from all across Poland, Europe and further regions of the world will be gathering to watch 12 of Dota 2’s most elite teams battle it out for the lion’s share of the $300,000 prize pool at Spodek Arena. The action on the big stage is expected to be at maximum intensity with the Number One ranked DPC team —Team Secret, the TI8 championship team —OG and several rapidly rising teams engage in an all-out battle.  Amid rollicking crowds, the atmosphere will be breathtaking and electrifying as spectators cheer and jeer along with the action.
 

ESL One Katowice 2019 Teams

Team Secret
Ninjas in Pyjamas
OG
Chaos Esports 
Fnatic
Alliance
Team Aster
Forward Gaming
Gambit Gaming
compLexity Gaming
ForTheDream
Mineski
 

ESL One Katowice 2019 Groups
 

 

ESL One Katowice 2019 Opening Day Matches
 

 

ESL One Katowice 2019 Format
 

• Group Stage
  • Will be played from February 19-21
  • Two groups, six teams each
  • Bo2 round robin
  • Top two teams advance to the Upper Bracket of the playoffs
  • 3rd and 4th placed teams advance to the Lower Bracket
  • Bottom two teams from either group are eliminated
  • Tiebreaker rules apply in order:
    1. Direct points between tied teams
    2. Neustadtl Score (Explanation)
    3. Number of wins overall
    4. Number of wins between tied teams
    5. Time coefficient
    6. Coin toss
• Playoffs
  • Will be played from February 22-24 in Spodek Arena in front of a live audience
  • Double Elimination
  • Except grand finals, All games are played in Bo3 Series
  • Grand finals are played in a Bo5 Series
     

ESL One Katowice 2019 Prize Pool
 

The prize pool for this tournament is $300,000. As the event is not part of the DPC, no points will be awarded to teams. 

1st place - $125,000
2nd place - $65,000
3rd place - $35,000
4th place - $20,000
5-6th place - $12,000
7-8th place - $7,500
9-10th place - $5,000
11-12th place - $3,000