In the group stage of the IEM Katowice 2025 Play-in, we anticipate an exciting match between BIG and HEROIC. HEROIC are showing confidence against strong teams, but this is a LAN where BIG are more experienced. In this material, we will analyze the current form of the teams, their map pool, and share a prediction for the outcome of this face-off.
Current Team Form
The average rating for BIG in S-tier tournaments over the past month is 6.2. They started the year by participating in the BLAST Bounty Spring 2025: Closed Qualifier, where they defeated SAW 2-0 but then lost to G2 in a close fight (1-2). At the IEM Katowice 2025 Play-in, BIG began with a loss to Wildcard (0-2), but in the second match, they confidently defeated Imperial Fe.
The average rating for Heroic over the past month is 5.9. In the BLAST Bounty Spring 2025: Closed Qualifier, Heroic showed strong play, defeating 3DMAX and Liquid (2-1), but in the LAN part of the tournament, with a substitution, they lost to Spirit (0-2). Later, the team once again beat Liquid (2-1), but in the decisive match, they lost to Eternal Fire.
Map Pool
BIG is likely to ban one of their weaker maps — Mirage, Anubis, or Inferno. Mirage has the lowest win rate for the team at 32% over 19 matches. Anubis and Inferno also look weak, with a win rate of 40% over 10 and 5 matches respectively. The most played maps are Ancient (23 games, 70% win rate) and Dust2 (19 games, 47% win rate). The best maps by win rate are Ancient (70%, 23 games) and Nuke (60%, 10 games).
HEROIC is likely to ban Inferno, which they haven't played over the last 35 matches. Also up for a ban may be Nuke, where the team has one of the lowest win rates — 44% over 18 matches, or Anubis (46% over 24 games). Most frequently, the team plays Mirage (19 games, 63% win rate) and Ancient (26 games, 62% win rate). The best maps by win rate are Mirage (63%, 19 games) and Vertigo (63%, 8 games).
- Ancient — BIG's choice
- Dust2 — Heroic's choice
- Train — decider
Match Prediction
BIG shows consistent performance on maps like Ancient and Nuke, which might give them an advantage at the start of the match. However, Heroic has a more balanced map pool, especially on Mirage, where they look confident. The deciding factor is BIG's ability to handle pressure in crucial rounds and Heroic, who often show character in tense situations.
Heroic 2–1 BIG
IEM Katowice 2025 takes place from January 29th to February 9th in Katowice, Poland. Twenty-four teams will compete for a prize pool of $1 million. You can follow the event's schedule and results via this link.
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