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IEM Cologne 2024 Play-in: Who will make it to the group stage?
The biggest non-major event for Counter-Strike is right around the corner with hundreds of thousands of fans waiting patiently for the main event in the LANXESS Arena. But before that, sixteen teams will battle it out in the Play-in stage starting the 7th of August to advance into the group stage.
With formidable teams and underdogs filling the bracket, here are Strafe’s predictions for the IEM Cologne Play-in Stage.
IEM Cologne 2024 Play-in Stage bracket:
- Complexity vs. ALTERNATE aTTaX [August 7, 2024 - 16:30 CET]
- Eternal Fire vs. Team Falcons [August 7, 2024 - 16:30 CET]
- Heroic vs. MIBR [August 7, 2024 - 13:30 CET]
- 3DMAX vs. 9z Team [August 7, 2024 - 13:30 CET]
- FURIA Esports vs. Imperial Esports [August 7, 2024 - 19:30 CET]
- paiN Gaming vs. Team Liquid [August 7, 2024 - 19:30 CET]
- FlyQuest vs. BIG [August 7, 2024 - 10:30 CET]
- SAW vs. The MongolZ [August 7, 2024 - 10:30 CET]
IEM Cologne 2024 Play-in Stage Predictions:
Complexity vs. ALTERNATE aTTax:
The local heroes of ALTERNATE aTTax will face a tough challenge against Complexity. Although a German team playing in front of their home crowd would be a dream come true for the players, the reality is far from that. In fact, amongst all participating teams, they have the least chance of winning their opening series. Well, at least their homes aren’t far away and the bus ticket is cheap.
Despite Complexity losing their flair recently, their worst form is far better than ALTERNATE aTTax’s best form. To not waste your time reading about the least exciting series, let’s move on to one of the most exciting instead.
Team Falcons vs. Eternal Fire:
It has already been months since the Falcons finalized their hefty roster and we still have no clue about the direction they’re heading to. For a team that spent a large sum on their roster, you’d expect a top-five finish as the bare minimum but their results show otherwise.
Trying to understand this team is like playing with a faulty Rubik's cube, regardless of how you spin your head around it, you can never solve it.
The only positive thing about their tournament appearances is the hotel cost since they barely last a couple of days into the event.
Eternal Fire, on the other hand, had a great year so far. The Turkish stars shined in the CS2 PGL Copenhagen Major by reaching the playoffs and continued to impress with a trophy lift at the CCT Season 1 Global Finals and a 3rd-4th finish at Skyesports Championship 2024.
Considering that there’s still no change in Falcon’s approach to the game after the player break, it’s unlikely for them to take down a hot-blooded team like Eternal Fire.
Heroic vs. MIBR
Heroic will enter the server without their AWPer Abdulkhalik "degster" Gasanov who’ll miss the start of IEM Cologne due to visa issues. This is the second consecutive event that the Russian player has missed, as he also failed to join his team in Copenhagen for BLAST Premier Fall Groups.
Instead, Volodymyr "Woro2k" Veletnjuk will step-in for Heroic until “degster” is able to join the team in Cologne. Considering Heroic’s current situation, MIBR might seem as a viable candidate to seize the victory. But, their recent regional record proves the opposite.
In the last three months, they failed two regional qualifiers including IEM Rio 2024 in addition to bombing on the international stage against teams like Complexity, The MongolZ, BetBoom and Heroic.
This will be the second time these teams lock horns after Heroic bamboozled MIBR in BetBoom Dacha Belgrade recently. And although “degster” was the star of the show, his absence will not change the outcome of the series.
3DMAX vs. 9z Team
In a surprise turn of events, BetBoom were unable to obtain visas and were replaced by 3DMAX as the next eligible team based on ESL’s Team Replacement Rules.
The French team rose to prominence with a trophy lift at Skyesports Championship, having defeated The MongolZ and ENCE respectively, adding more weight to their name in Cologne.
But on the other side is a formidable 9z who made waves at IEM Dallas after reaching the semifinals, followed by winning FiReLEAGUE Global Final 2023 two weeks after.
In Dallas, Antonio "Martinez" Martinez and Matias "HUASOPEEK" Ibañez showed their prowess against the best teams in the world with flashy performances that netted them a spot amongst the best players in the tournament. If they can carry their impressive showing into Cologne, then we expect them to come up victorious despite the even odds between the two teams.
FURIA vs. Imperial Esports
The best team from South America will face Imperial Esports in a classic derby and rivalry between ex-teammates. Although both teams come from the same region, they only met once at the IEM Dallas closed qualifier with FURIA reigning on top in an easy feat.
While Imperial was struggling to find their footing in regional qualifiers against paiN, FURIA found a glimpse of success on the international stage, notably, in YaLLa Compass and Esports World Cup where they reached the final stages. This is a clear indication on the level these teams will enter the server, and how FURIA will sweep their opposition convincingly.
paiN Gaming vs. Team Liquid
Despite paiN running on all cylinders in the second half of the year, the newly formed Liquid under Russel "Twistzz" Van Dulken steals the spotlight after a stellar showing at BLAST Premier Fall Groups.
With Casper "cadiaN" Møller out of the equation, the team found a leeway to perform and have a forever lost success which makes them the favorites in the series and a contender to reach the later stages of the tournament.
On top of having a new AWPer, Liquid strengthened their arsenal with none other than the IEM Cologne 2023 winner Justin “jks” Savag. For that, Liquid aren’t only expected to win their opening series but walk the distance into the group stage.
FlyQuest vs. BIG
In what might not be the most thrilling matchup, two teams that often find themselves outside the spotlight will face off. FlyQuest are still struggling to find their footing after acquiring the Oceanic roster, and BIG, who have yet to make a mark against stronger opponents, seem destined for an uphill battle before the event even begins.
However, in this encounter between the underdogs, BIG is expected to come out on top, given their comparatively better track record on the big stage.
The Final Teams to Qualify to the group stage
| Upper Bracket teams | Lower Bracket teams |
|---|---|
| Eternal Fire | Complexity |
| Heroic | 9z Team |
| Team Liquid | FURIA |
| The MongolZ | BIG |
With our picks set, Let us know who you think will take the cake in the comments and on Strafe App.
Catch the action live on ESL Twitch and YouTube. You can also follow the tournament on Strafe.
Featured Image source: ESL/Strafe
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