The 14th Valve Major cycle has commenced, and another monumental tournament series is on the horizon for CS:GO esports.
The IEM Katowice Major will be the first $1 million Major of 2019, and it’ll also be the first Major in Katowice, Poland since 2015. With 24 spots up for grabs, teams from around the world will be fighting for a place at the main event, where each player will be given their own in-game stickers as a reward for their historic journey from the online qualifiers to the Minor championships, to the ESL Arena (the New Challengers stage), to the International Congress Centre (the New Legends stage), and finally to the Spodek Arena (the New Champions stage).
Related: Astralis emerge victorious over Na’Vi to win their second Major at FACEIT London
Below is everything you need to know about the upcoming IEM Katowice Major.
The 2019 IEM Katowice Major — Feb. 14 to March 3
| Legends | Challengers | Minor Challengers |
| Astralis | Ninjas in Pyjamas | TBD via Asia Minor |
| Natus Vincere | Fnatic | TBD via Asia Minor |
| MIBR | G2 Esports | TBD via CIS Minor |
| Team Liquid | Cloud9 | TBD via CIS Minor |
| BIG | Vega Squadron | TBD via Americas Minor |
| compLexity Gaming | TyLoo | TBD via Americas Minor |
| HellRaisers | TBD via Europe Minor | |
| FaZe Clan | TBD via Europe Minor | |
| TBD via third place | ||
| TBD via third place |
The Major Stages
| The New Challengers Stage | Feb. 14 to 17 | Format TBD |
| The New Legends Stage | Feb. 21 to 24 | Format TBD |
| The New Champions Stage | Feb. 28 to March 4 | Single-elimination best-of-three bracket |
The CIS and Europe Minor Championships — Jan. 16 to 20
| CIS | Europe |
| Team Spirit | Mousesports |
| Winstrike | Windigo Gaming |
| Nemiga Gaming | OpTic Gaming |
| AVANGAR | North |
| pro100 | Space Soldiers |
| Gambit Esports | ENCE Esports |
| Syman Gaming | Team Vitality |
| UnderPressure | Valiance |
- Notable CIS teams eliminated: forZe, Monolith Gaming
- Notable European teams eliminated: Heroic, Team Kinguin, Virtus Pro, Team LDLC
The Asia and Americas Minor Championships — Jan. 22 to 26
| Asia | Americas |
| Renegades (Oceania) | INTZ Esports (SA) |
| Grayhound Gaming (Oceania) | Imperial Esports (SA) |
| ViCi Gaming (China) | NRG Esports (NA) |
| CyberZen (China) | Team Envy (NA) |
| MVP PK (East Asia) | eUnited (NA) |
| GOSU (East Asia) | Team One (NA) |
| Beyond Esports (Southeast Asia) | Bravado Gaming (NA) |
| exDT (Middle East) | Furia Esports (NA) |
- Notable Asian teams eliminated:
- Notable American teams eliminated: Swole Patrol, Ghost Gaming, Old Guys Club, Luminosity Gaming, Mythic
This article will be updated as more teams qualify for the IEM Katowice Major and as more info is made available by ESL.
