The IEM Cologne groups have come to an end, and we’ve had an incredible period of non-stop CS:GO to take in. We’ve seen the best players in the world come together, to fight for those Playoff places in the LANXESS Arena.
First, we’re looking at Group A of IEM Cologne 2023 to see what it offered over the past few days.
No Huge Surprises
If we’re looking for a surprise package of the IEM Group Stage in Cologne, Group A isn’t the place for that. Looking at the teams that qualified, both Heroic and ENCE made it through the Upper Bracket, while Cloud9 minus Ax1Le squeezed through the Lower Bracket.
Credit: IEM on Twitter
In our IEM Cologne 2023 Group Stage preview, we had Monte ahead of ENCE. However, Monte were unfortunate to face Heroic and Cloud9 on their way out the door, condemning them to Cologne calamity. Considering ENCE were IEM Dallas 2023 champions a few months ago, you’d hardly count this as a surprise. All said and done, these are some strong qualifying teams, and you’d be hard-pressed to say they don’t deserve it.
Positive Signs
Despite only three teams being able to make it, the IEM Cologne groups saw some positive signs for some of the rosters who crashed out here. Fnatic look better than they’ve been in a long time, after releasing mezii off his leash of IGL duties.
Credit: IEM on Twitter
Then, there’s GamerLegion. After losing siuhy and iM after their BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 Grand Final run, it was feared GamerLegion would disappear into the sea of Tier-2. But they can be proud of their performance in the IEM Group Stage, eventually faltering to an all-star Cloud9 team. They dispatched The MongolZ and Fnatic along the way, showing there’s some life in GamerLegion yet.
Speaking of The MongolZ, it’s hard not to talk about these guys. Yes, they went out without winning a single match. But they did so with style. After much roster uncertainly, The MongolZ came to IEM Cologne 2023 with nothing but a dream. Their opener against Heroic was a dream start, taking Mirage with ease. On Overpass, The MongolZ looked set to 2:0 Heroic, with the experience of the Danes coming in clutch in a nail-biting overtime finish. It was a similar story against GamerLegion, with the team needing three maps and overtime to be rid of The MongolZ. They can be extremely proud of their IEM Cologne groups performance.
What’s Next For Group A?
All of ENCE, Heroic, and Cloud9 know their fate, with Group B of IEM Cologne 2023 serving up a storm on the other side.
Credit: IEM on Twitter
With ENCE emerging on top of Group A, their Semi-Final berth is already secured. They’ll face either Vitality or Cloud9, who may have Ax1Le at their disposal for the playoffs. Meanwhile, Heroic face off against Astralis, in a massive game to determine Danish superiority at IEM Cologne 2023.
With a new round of play, comes a new opportunity. For the rest of the tournament, you can head over to GG.Bet to test your esports knowledge and bet on the teams from Group A of IEM Cologne 2023.
With deposit bonuses tailored specifically toward IEM Cologne 2023, the Playoffs are the perfect time to get involved. The amazing odds for the Playoff openers are already available, with a ton of niche markets for you to place your bets. On one side, Vitality enter as early favorites against Cloud9. On the other, the odds favor Heroic to halt the Astralis machine in its tracks. GG.Bet is hands-down the best place for you to enhance your IEM Cologne 2023 experience.
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