IEM Katowice 2024 has completed its group stage, filtering out 18 of the 24 teams. The defining moment was the match between Heroic and G2, which took place on the night of February 6th, attracting a significantly larger audience compared to last year, indicating a growing interest in Counter-Strike amidst the development of its new esports scene following the transition to CS2.

The shift to CS2 has brought changes to the Counter-Strike esports ecosystem, forcing teams to adapt to the new release. ESL responded with quick optimization of its events, including IEM Katowice 2024, by adding new language broadcasts and official partnerships for greater inclusivity.

READ MORE: The playoff stage of IEM Katowice 2024 will be played on the latest Counter-Strike 2 patch

The upper bracket semifinal between ENCE and G2 Esports, which gathered 449.7k peak viewers, stands out particularly. The reformation of ENCE into a Polish team with a new lineup from the Swedish organization 9INE added intrigue, especially after their victory over Vitality.

The significant growth in viewer audience during the group stage of IEM Katowice 2024 highlights changes in the event's language dynamics, reducing the role of the English language and expanding the viewers' geography thanks to new language broadcasts.

Source: Esports Charts