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10.02.20258 min read

IEM Katowice 2025 Pick’em Guide – How to Score Maximum Points 🏅

Pick’em is a fun and engaging challenge that allows players to predict the performances of their favorite electronic sports teams. The goal of this challenge is for players to predict the outcomes of future matches, earn points for their predictions, and claim awesome prizes.

Popular mainly with the Counter-Strike franchise, this exciting challenge has become particularly common with major Counter-Strike tournaments like the Intel Extreme Masters. At MelBet, we offer players the opportunity to test out their esports knowledge against their friends and a chance to win various prizes for their right predictions.

IEM Katowice is a global esports tournament with a primary focus on Counter-Strike and played by 24 teams. Featuring the largest prize pool, this tournament is renowned for its wide followership, and we are dedicated to offering fans a share of the loot with the MelBet pick’em challenge. Keep reading for a top-down insight into how the tournament works, key strategies to maximize your points, and common mistakes to avoid when predicting on IEM Katowice 2025.

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How the IEM Katowice Pick’em Works

While the grand final of IEM Katowice at the Spodek Arena is often the spectacle of the event, the tournament is split into 3 stages: Play-in, Group Stage, and Playoffs. For context, 8 teams automatically qualify for the group stage based on their standings as the strongest teams on the regional standings, leaving 16 teams to participate in the play-in.

The first step when partaking in the CS2 Pick’em challenge is checking out the 16 teams participating in the play-in stage and making your predictions to earn points. Here’s how many points you can claim on your predictions at every stage:

Play-ins: Fans earn 1 point for each correctly predicted team advancing to the Group Stage (maximum 8 points);
Group Stage: Fans earn 2 points for each correctly predicted team advancing to the Playoffs (maximum 12 points);
Playoffs (Semi-finals): Fans earn 2 points for each correctly predicted team advancing to the Semi-finals (maximum 8 points);
Tournament Winner: Fans earn 4 points for correctly predicting the winner.

Key Strategies to Maximize Your Points

Being a fan of the Counter-Strike franchise won’t always be enough to place pickem predictions. Execution is equally as important when making your predictions. Here are some key strategies that can help you maximize the points you earn with your predictions.

Research the Teams & Players 🔎

Before placing your predictions, always check out the global CS2 team rankings, team lineup, and past IEM performances. This involves checking out any changes or additions to the team’s lineup and checking out their performances against the team they are up against at the past IEM tournaments. Some of the teams for you to watch out for when making your predictions on Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2025 are Team Spirit, Virtus Pro, Natus Vincere, Vitality, and Eternal Fire. With that said, here are some players to watch out for:

Top Fraggers at Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2025
Player	Team	Bio
donk	Team Spirit	This 18-year-old Russian player has the highest rating, ADR (average damage per round), and K/D differential in the tournament so far. This player has contributed to the team’s strong performance in the tournament so far.
XANTARES	Eternal Fire	This Turkish veteran rifler leads the charge for Eternal Fire and is responsible for one of the most exciting highlights of the group stage, a 49-kill performance on Nuke against FaZe.
Impact Players at Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2025
Player	Team	Bio
iM	Natus Vincere	This Romanian player is renowned for his crucial plays and excellent support for his teammates. His game sense and ability to read the opponent are invaluable to the teams and earn him a spot as one of the top impact players in the tournament.
FL1T	Virtus.pro	FL1T is a key player for VP, known for his versatility and impact. He excels in multiple roles, from entry fragging to providing crucial support. His adaptability in various situations makes him an invaluable asset to the team.

Understand the Map Pool & Playstyles 🗺️

Another key strategy to consider is the strength of each team on every map. Always keep in mind that the maps are always changing for every stage, putting some teams at an advantage on specific maps and nerfing the teams on some. Here’s a quick look at the performances of the top teams on the maps selected for IEM Katowice 2025:

Maps	Best Performing Team	Wins	Losses
Ancient	Team Spirit	63	29
Dust II	Natus Vincere	117	73
Inferno	Team Vitality	120	74
Mirage	Natus Vincere	172	95
Nuke	Team Vitality	123	72
Train	Natus Vincere	81	30

Balance Safe Picks with Risky Predictions 🎲

Upsets are a common sight at Intel Extreme Masters Tournaments, with underdogs rising from the shadows and taking down top-tier teams. When making your predictions, endeavor to always balance your safe bets with your risky predictions. This means ensuring your predictions are a mix of top-tier teams with a strong history and upcoming underdogs with the potential to dethrone the present champions.

Follow Expert Analysis & Community Insights 📢

As stated, this tournament has a huge followership which has contributed to the creation of large communities on various platforms. Ensure to always check out eSports analysis, tips, and discussions on popular platforms like X and Reddit. Another key consideration is the sports betting odds on these events, allowing you to easily identify each team’s standing as the stronger team generally has lower odds.

Adapt & Adjust as the Tournament Progresses 🔄

Finally, ensure to always adjust and adapt based on the progression of the tournament. We advise watching the early matches to identify the strengths of the teams and allow you to recognize the underdogs earlier on. While we understand that the strength of the stronger teams is established already, always be flexible to change up your predictions if the dynamics are not going as you expected.

Common Mistakes That Are Necessary to Avoid ❌

Once you’re ready to partake in the MelBet pickem challenge, here are some common mistakes you should avoid:

Picking teams based on hype instead of stats: It is understandable that most of these teams and players have built a followership based on previous performances and personal promotions. However, players should keep in mind that upsets are not unusual in this event. So always make your predictions based on stats and not player/team hype;
Ignoring map veto strategies: Map selection plays a crucial role in competitive matches. Overlooking a team’s strengths and weaknesses on specific maps can lead to poor picks. Pay attention to veto strategies and past performances on key maps;
Focusing only on star players instead of overall team performance: Every team has its fair share of fraggers and impact players, pointing out that every player is working collectively for the team. Always prioritize team strengths rather than individual strengths when making your predictions;
Not adjusting picks after early upsets: Tournaments are unpredictable, and early upsets happen. Failing to adapt your picks as the event progresses can cost valuable points. Stay updated and make informed adjustments when necessary.

Conclusion & Final Tips

Detailed research is the key to winning the ultimate prizes in a pick’em challenge. However, these challenges also require a fair share of strategy and instant. This allows participants to back up their predictions with facts and trust their gut to allow the events to play out.

In conclusion, players should ensure to always keep track of the events in the IEM Katowice 2025. This allows you to stay flexible and adapt to any early upsets and momentum shifts. Remember to also balance your picks, ensuring that your predictions are a combination of safe bets and risky picks. By adhering to this, you might be one of the winners of one of the amazing prizes of the MelBet pick’em challenge or the lucky winner of the brand new PlayStation 5 Slim.

AuthorBat-Erdene Ganbold

Pick'em and analytics expert for esports tournaments. In the scene since 2017, known for over 75% prediction accuracy and consistently ranking high in CS and Dota Pick'em challenges. Writes guides, tracks underdog teams, and plays in an amateur CS2 squad.