Team Spirit showcased nothing short of pure dominance against FaZe Clan in the IEM Katowice 2024’s grand final. The Russian team obliterated their enemies with a 3-0 record, sweeping the series and taking home the trophy.
Donk was the standout performer of the series. The 17-year-old carried Spirit over such a dominant kill, boasting a 1.93 rating during the final, according to HLTV. Such a monstrous performance secured him the MVP award, deservedly so.
The final itself began with FaZe’s pick of Nuke. Spirit got to choose sides as a result and opted for CT side. Donk quickly started aggressively taking over Outside, winning numerous duels again and again. Spirit’s solid defense and rotations secured them Nuke with a 13-9. FaZe tried to even the score on Mirage but fell short as it ended 13-11 in favor of Spirit. The third map was a complete dominance from the Russian side, who crushed FaZe with a 13-3 score.
For a team that’s been together for less than two months, winning IEM Katowice is an incredible accomplishment. On their way to the renowned trophy, Spirit dropped only one map, Anubis against Natus Vincere in the group stage in a match they ended up winning. Besides, they donked teams like Falcons, Complexity, and FaZe.
Once again, this result wouldn’t have been possible without donk. The youngster became the highest-rating individual in the history of Katowice, finishing the tournament with a 1.70 rating, according to HLTV. G2 Esports’ m0NESY was the second-best player in that regard, with a “mere” 1.35.
The victory in Katowice secured Spirit a handful of valuable invitations, including IEM Cologne 2024 and the BLAST Premier World Final. Next, they have the European RMRs for the first CS2 Major to look forward to, set to take place in Copenhagen in March.
