Best photos from IEM Katowice group stage & Play

Take a look through some of the highlight moments and reactions from players at the first Big Event of 2023.

IEM Katowice kicked off with its Play-In stage on February 1, whittling down an initial pool of 16 teams to determine which eight that would advance to the group stage. Ten more teams were then eliminated when IEM Katowice's top-17 stage got underway, with FaZe notably bowing out following a loss to Liquid in the lower bracket final of Group A.

HLTV's photographers Radosław "⁠MAKKU⁠" Makuch and Josip "⁠brcho⁠" Brtan were on hand to capture the emotions of players at the event as they secured victory or were sent packing from the tournament, and we've gathered some of the highlight moments below ahead of the playoffs in the Spodek Arena.

You can find the individual galleries for each day of IEM Katowice below:

- HLTV Confirmed live show

- Group stage day 4
- Group stage day 3
- Group stage day 2
- Group stage day 1

- Top 20 medals

- Play-In day 3
- Play-In day 2
- Play-In day 1

Radosław 'MAKKU' Makuch Age: 25 Team: HLTV.org Staff Rating 1.0: 1.33 Maps played: 14 KPR: 0.94 DPR: 0.63 Josip 'brcho' Brtan Age: - Team: HLTV.org Staff Rating 1.0: 0.98 Maps played: 10 KPR: 0.68 DPR: 0.68 Liquid #4 Nick 'nitr0' CannellaKeith 'NAF' MarkovicJonathan 'EliGE' JablonowskiJosh 'oSee' OhmMareks 'YEKINDAR' Gaļinskis Damian 'daps' Steele FaZe #3 Finn 'karrigan' AndersenHåvard 'rain' NygaardRussel 'Twistzz' Van DulkenRobin 'ropz' KoolHelvijs 'broky' Saukants Robert 'RobbaN' Dahlström