Today marks the start of the Play-In stage of IEM Katowice 2025, but the organizers have made an unexpected decision: the matches in this stage will be played on the old CS2 patch. However, in the main part of the tournament, which begins on February 1, teams will play on the new update.

This split could affect the participants' preparation and create a unique situation where some matches will be played under the old rules, while others will be under the new ones. Such a transitional format is rarely seen in esports.

Context of the Situation

ESL announced its decision on the social network X, clarifying that not only IEM Katowice 2025 will be affected by these changes. ESL Challenger League and the qualifiers for IEM Dallas will also be held on the new patch, whereas the Play-In stage of IEM Katowice will remain on the previous version of the game.

Update Details and Impact on the Tournament

The new CS2 update has brought several significant changes in weapon balance:

• The M4A4 now costs $2900 – the same as the M4A1-S;
• The FAMAS has improved accuracy and is now cheaper – $1950;
• The accuracy of the MP9, MP5, and MP7 when crouching has been reduced.

Moreover, Train has officially been added to the active map pool, but this will not affect IEM Katowice 2025 since ESL had previously included it in the tournament's map list. In order to read the update in detail you can follow the link.

How Will This Affect the Teams?

Transitioning between patches in the middle of a tournament is rare in professional Counter-Strike. Teams playing in the Play-In stage will be forced to adapt to new conditions after advancing to the main part of the tournament. This may give an advantage to teams starting in the group stage, as they have more time to train on the new patch.

ESL's decision to split IEM Katowice 2025 into two parts with different versions of the game could significantly impact the course of the matches. Some teams will be forced to adjust their strategy during the tournament, while others will have the opportunity to prepare in advance for the new patch.