G2 Esports are crowned Champions of IEM Cologne 2023!!
The Cathedral of Counter Strike was brought to life last night, as Cologne was given a new Champion. As the dust finally settled on Ancient, it was G2 Esports who claimed the coveted trophy of the Final IEM Cologne for CSGO.
It was a IEM Winners derby, as former Katowice Champions took on former Dallas Winners ENCE to lift the trophy at Cologne. But after a thrilling 4 map saga, it was G2 who came out on top at the LANXESS Arena.
The Grand Finals:
It was a dominant game for G2, as they made the LANXESS Arena their home. They won the series 3-1, as they did not allow ENCE to build any momentum.
ENCE removed Inferno
G2 removed Overpass
ENCE picked Nuke
G2 picked Mirage
ENCE picked Anubis
G2 picked Ancient
Vertigo was left over
Map 1: Nuke
Nuke was completely dominated by G2. They had a strong start on the CT-side. m0NESY took off as he got a 3k with the USP in the pistol round. They took 3 rounds right off the bat. ENCE could not breach G2’s defense. The Dallas winners could only take 4 rounds in the first half. G2 put the first half to rest at a dominant 11-4. They carried this momentum through to the second half. They showed off a perfect T-side, as they won 5 rounds right off the bat. G2 took the map 16-4 in staggering fashion.
Map 2: Mirage
ENCE showed up with a strong CT-side on Mirage. They claimed the first 4 rounds of the half. But G2 shot back with a 5 round win streak of their own. As the first half came to an end, ENCE managed to stay on top at 8-7. But G2 showed off a stellar CT-side in the second half. They won 6 rounds right off the bat. ENCE could only pullback 2 more rounds, before m0NESY put the game to rest in a 2v2 situation with the AWP. G2 won the map 16-10.
Map 3: Anubis
ENCE managed to outplay G2 on Anubis. Although G2 managed to pull out the first 2 rounds, ENCE made the first half their own. The former Katowice winner showed a fantastic T-side that allowed them to take the first half 10-5. ENCE kicked off the second half in style, as NertZ pulled off a fantastic 1v2 clutch to win the pistol round. They carried this momentum forward, and put themselves on 14-5. But G2 fought back. They pulled back 3 more rounds, as NiKo did everything he could to keep ENCE off Map Point. ENCE finally managed to get on to Map Point. But G2 got a 5 round win streak to put themselves at 13. But ENCE pulled themselves together, and brought home the map at round 29, at 16-13.
Map 4: Ancient
Ancient brought us back to the G2 playhouse. Although ENCE managed to pull off the first 2 rounds in the first half, G2 pulled off a masterful T-side to take back the half. They won 8 rounds in a row to put themselves at 8-2. ENCE managed to salvage most of what was left in the half. The first half ended 9-6 in favor of G2. ENCE kicked things off strong in the second half. They won 3 rounds right off the bat. But G2 put an end to things, as they pulled off a 7 round win streak to take the map 16-9.
The Champions of Cologne:
The Cathedral roared to life as G2 Esports lifted their first IEM Cologne Trophy. They are the 9th team to lift the trophy, and the final Champions of the Cathedral for CSGO.
As G2 lifted the coveted cup, NiKo was named the MVP.
As IEM Cologne 2023 came to an end, G2 took home a $400,000 prize money. G2 are showing a very dominant form, and are in contention to be the best in the world. They won 2 IEM events in the year 2023, and have cemented their place as one the best CSGO teams to currently play.
ENCE have also proved to the world that Dallas was no fluke. The roster has managed to find their groove. And they have become a team that everyone should keep on their radar.
As IEM Cologne 2023 comes to an end, we thank you for sticking with us. We’ll see you at the next event.