Heroic vs G2 Esports - CS:GO IEM Katowice 2023 Grand Final: Predictions, where to watch, and more

Twenty-four leading CS:GO teams from all over the world initially made their way to Katowice, Poland on February 1 to compete for the IEM Katowice 2023 title. Eleven days into the tournament, only two teams remain in battle for the prestigious IEM title and the winner's cheque from a $1 million prize pool.

The Grand Final of IEM Katowice 2023 will feature two of the most proficient CS:GO teams of 2022 - the 2022 IEM Rio Major runner-up Heroic and the 2022 BLAST Premier World Finals winners G2 Esports. Fans of Counter Strike will get to witness two world-class teams competing in a best-of-five series for the grand IEM title on February 12, 2023.

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Heroic vs G2 - Who will win this Grand Finals matchup of CS:GO's IEM Katowice 2023?

Predictions

Both Heroic and G2 Esports are currently among two of the top CS:GO rosters in the world. Heroic claimed a second-place finish in the recently held CS:GO Majors, whereas G2 won their last two tournaments, the BLAST Premier World Finals 2022 and Spring Groups 2023.

Heroic's form has been splendid throughout IEM Katowice 2023. The only map that the team conceded in the entire tournament was in their opening match against Complexity. Since then, Heroic has gone on to defeat teams like OG, Vitality, and NAVI, to seal a spot in the Grand Finals.

Additionally, Heroic has an incredible roster with a strong core of young players under the leadership of their experienced in-game leader, cadiaN. They also have players like stavn, TeSeS, and Jabbi, who, despite lacking experience, have proven their talent on the international stage several times before.

Although Heroic is in incredible form, G2's winning momentum seems unmatchable right now. In fact, G2 hasn't lost a single map in almost two months. Their last defeat came against Vitality in the 2022 World Finals, following which they extended their winning streak to nine consecutive victories, winning 18 maps and losing none.

G2 Esports' current performance is a result of their strong team chemistry and dexterous individual talent. The team's players such as HooXi and jks have improved their individual performances ever since they joined G2, while huNter-, NiKo, and m0NESY have been playing remarkably, as usual.

Heading into this Grand Final matchup, G2 Esports are the clear favorites. Their team composition, individual capabilities, and current form gives them a fair advantage over Heroic in this best-of-five matchup.

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Head-to-head

The current rosters of Heroic and G2 Esports have played against each other on only two separate occasions before. Both of these encounters were won by Heroic, with the Danish roster winning three out of the four maps they've played against G2.

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Recent results

So far, Heroic has won all of their matches in the IEM Katowice 2023 event. They enjoyed a flawless run in the Group Stage, defeating Complexity, OG, and Team Vitality. After enjoying a dominant victory over NAVI in the semi-finals, Heroic have finally made their way to meet G2 in the Grand Finals.

Interestingly, G2 Esports enjoyed a near perfect run in the tournament as well, just like Heroic. They defeated BIG, FaZe Clan, and NAVI in the Group Stage to qualify for the playoffs. After defeating Team Liquid in the semi-finals, G2 made a smooth entry into the Grand Finals of IEM Katowice 2023.

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Potential lineups

G2 Esports

• Nemanja "huNter-" Kovač
• Nikola "NiKo" Kovač
• Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov
• Justin "jks" Savage
• Rasmus "HooXi" Nielsen (IGL)
• Jan "Swani" Müller (Coach)

Heroic

• Martin "stavn" Lund
• Casper "cadiaN" Møller (IGL)
• René "TeSeS" Madsen
• Rasmus "sjuush" Beck
• Jakob "Jabbi" Nygaard
• Richard "Xizt" Landström (Coach)

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Where to watch

CS:GO enthusiasts all over the world can catch the Grand Finals of the IEM Katowice 2023 Playoffs live on ESL CS:GO's official Twitch channel using this link. Heroic will take on G2 Esports in a best-of-five matchup on February 12, 2023 at 7:00 am PST/ 4:00 pm CET/ 8:30 pm IST.