A grand finals day to be remembered - StarCraft II saved the best for last at IEM Katowice

What a week we’ve had here in Katowice. We started with 64 players back on Monday and after a grueling gauntlet of games we’ve found our new Intel Extreme Katowice champion! Check how the final day of StarCraft II went down.

Semi final #1: aLive vs TY

A TvT for the ages! Neither aLive nor TY pulled any punches in this highly anticipated semi final! Back in Group B of the Ro24, aLive was able to take this series with a clear 2-0 and since then he even managed to eliminate the one and only INnoVation from the tournament. But he wasn’t the only one to get some TvT practise at the highest level. TY was able to eliminate GuMiho in his quarterfinal and now in this battle between the world’s best Terrans, we were treated to a full Bo5 with thrilling back and forth games. Ultimately TY managed to put an end to aLive’s amazing run here in Katowice with a decisive victory on Abyssal Reef for the fifth and final map.

  • Newkirk Precinct: TY
  • Proxima Station: aLive
  • Cactus Valley: aLive
  • Honorgrounds: TY
  • Abyssal Reef: TY

Final score: aLive 2:3 TY

Semi final #2: Dark vs Stats

So many Terrans managed to get into the playoffs but for the second semi final it was an utterly Terran-less affair between Dark and Stats. Unfortunately for the Zerg, Stats was simply on top of his game in the series, only allowing Dark a single map win on Proxima Station. The longer each game went, the bigger Stats’s advantages became and his conservative play was able to nullify most of Dark’s aggressiveness, resulting in a reverse sweep for Stats. Even though only two Protoss managed to even make it to the knockout phase, over the course of the series Stats managed to showcase just why everyone refers to him as the best Protoss in the world. And by beating ByuN in the quarterfinals earlier, he also showed off his amazing PvT which he would need to call up again in the grand finals against TY.

  • Proxima Station: Dark
  • Newkirk Precinct: Stats
  • Cactus Valley: Stats
  • Abyssal Reef: Stats

Final score: Dark 1:3 Stats

Grand final: TY vs Stats

This year’s Intel Extreme Masters Katowice grand finals will surely go down as one of the most incredible Bo7 series in the history of StarCraft II! It was a display of never before seen range in a PvT, leading to the most exciting finals in years. Both players were on top of their game, constantly switching up their strategies between maps to catch their opponent of guard. On the all-important final map it was TY who eventually managed to take out Stats’s outer bases, forcing the Protoss to concede on Cactus Valley.

  • Newkirk Precinct: Stats
  • Proxima Station: TY
  • Abyssal Reef: TY
  • Paladino Terminal: Stats
  • Bel’Shir Vestige: TY
  • Honorgrounds: Stats
  • Cactus Valley: TY

Final score: TY 4:3 Stats

With this, TY not only lifts the Intel Extreme Masters trophy, but he also earned himself US$100,000, as well as a direct spot in the WCS Global Finals later this year. What an immaculate performance! If you’re going to rewatch any of the series from Intel Extreme Masters Katowice tonight, make it this one - you won’t regret it.

Thanks to everyone who tuned into our week-long StarCraft II marathon and congratulations to our new Intel Extreme Katowice World Champion - TY.

Don’t forget to come and check out our IEM Facebook and Twitter pages if you’re looking for highlights or missed out on any of the games.

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