Odds to win Starcraft 2 at IEM Katowice with Maru as the current betting favorite, followed by Rogue and Serral.

Maru Tops Odds To Win SC2 IEM Katowice 2022

Competitive Starcraft 2 action is returning to our screens from February 23-27 with one of the game’s grandest tournaments, IEM Katowice. The event is the unofficial world championship of SC2, bringing together all the best players from around the world for an epic showdown.

Every player at the event qualified through the 2021 season of the ESL Pro Tour (EPT), gathering points through tournament placements during the year. This means only the best of the best are competing and odds are that IEM Katowice 2022 will be a blast like always.

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Remember to brush up on your Starcraft 2 knowledge with our SC2 betting guide, and let’s take a look at the event in more detail.

Who’s Playing At Starcraft 2’s IEM Katowice 2022?

IEM Katowice is always the biggest event on the Starcraft competitive calendar and it’s no different this year. In total, 36 players have earned spots at this event. All of these players earned points from various ESL Pro Tour events in 2021, with the usual favorites like Maru, Rogue, Serral, Dark, Reynor and Clem, of course, securing some of the top seeds.

The qualification process was also region-based, so wherever you’re from, you’ll likely have a hometown hero to cheer for. With that being said, South Korea and Europe own by far the most spots, with North America, Latin America, China, Taiwan and Oceania sharing just 10 spaces at the event.

It’s also very important to note the format of IEM Katowice. While 36 players have qualified, the event is split into three stages, with the first being essentially another qualifier for the main event.

The 20 players who earned the most EPT points throughout 2021 are seeded directly into the main event. The other 16 must first go through a preliminary round, from which only four will advance to the main stage.

Once those four are decided, the real competition begins. The second stage of the tournament features all 24 players split into four groups. They then battle it out in a best-of-three round-robin format, meaning each player faces the others in their group once, and the top three of each group advance to the playoffs. The top player of each group is seeded directly into the quarterfinals, while the other two enter Round 1.

IEM Katowice’s final – and usually most exciting – stage is the playoff bracket. Here, the remaining 12 players duke it out in a single-elimination playoff. The stakes at this point are higher than they’ve ever been, with one series loss spelling elimination, and the last player standing is crowned the champion.

Who Will Win IEM Katowice Starcraft 2?

Odds to Win IEM Katowice Starcraft 2
PlayerOdds
Maru+135
Rogue+195
Serral+270
Trap+500
Dark+650
Cure+1300
Zest+1400
Reynor+1500
Clem+1500
Zoun+2500

Odds as of February 22 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]

Maru Looks To Cement Legendary Career With IEM Katowice Trophy

It’s not a Starcraft 2 event without Maru. The Korean is arguably the game’s most legendary player, having been on top of the world since 2012 and now closing in on over a decade of dominance.

He comes into the event looking for the one trophy that has eluded him throughout his impressive career, the IEM Katowice trophy. Maru has come close to winning multiple times, but saw his runs cut short in the playoffs for many years in a row.

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Now the Korean Terran enters in strong form, having taken home the Last Chance event in dominant fashion, and looks primed to finally go all the way in Katowice. With odds of +135, that represents an implied win probability of 42.55 percent, according to our Super Calculator, and while that may seem high, it’s the best of the pack and for good reason.

Can Serral Be The ‘Western Hope’ Once Again?

Another legendary player looking to perform at this event is Serral. For those unfamiliar with Starcraft 2 history, the Finnish player is essentially the embodiment of the “western hope.” This is a title given to players who have the potential to beat Korean players (who historically have dominated the game) and Serral is one of the only ones to actually live up to the name.

Serral has been a standout player since his breakout year in 2018, when he became the only western player to successfully rival the world’s best. He’s the only non-Korean to take home a trophy on Korean soil, winning GSL vs the World, and also won the world championship later in the same year.

Things have been a bit underwhelming for him in the last couple of years, especially in international competition. This isn’t to say he has completely lost his form, but rather than tournament wins, we’ve been seeing Serral perform well but fall short at the final hurdle or two.

He definitely has the skills to win it all in Katowice, and western Starcraft fans everywhere will no doubt be hoping to see the western hope return to his former glory.

Reynor Looks To Bounce Back And Defend His IEM Katowice Title

Another European player who’s worth keeping your eyes on is Reynor. He enters the event as a large underdog, but he is also the defending champion.

Much like last year, bookmakers doubt Reynor’s chances of winning it, with the player not even being the best in Europe, never mind compared to the elite Korean competition. He’s not had the best few months either, finishing middle of the pack at the last handful of events he’s played, dropping series to not only the favorites, but even to some players who haven’t managed to qualify for IEM Katowice.

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With that being said, there’s definitely potential with Reynor. He’s shown he can do it before and while he hasn’t been in the best form, maybe the memories of winning Katowice last year will give him an all-important boost. Considering the odds, he is definitely a great pick if you want to take a bit of a risk on an underdog.

Zest Enters IEM Katowice Hot Off GSL Super Tournament Triumph

Looking back at Korean players, there’s a good range of possible champions. The region is filled with talent and is home to most of the world’s best, all of whom could take down anyone on a good day.

Our last player to highlight is Zest. He’s a Starcraft 2 veteran, having first competed in 2011, and is one of few royal roaders, meaning he won a championship title in his rookie year. Since then, he’s always been considered to be one of the best Protoss players in the world and has won his fair share of titles.

At 29 years old, he’s one of the oldest players in the tournament, but that hasn’t stopped him from success. Zest comes into IEM Katowice in arguably the best form of any player, having won the GSL Super Tournament at the end of January, where he took down, among others, Maru in a convincing 3-1.

Looking at the odds, it’s quite strange to see Zest as such a big underdog. He’s proven he’s still got it with his latest win and he’s in amazing form. Starcraft 2 is a very competitive game, so in reality, this is anyone’s event, but it wouldn’t be the biggest shock to see Zest take it.

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