It is finally time. The marquee event of 16 premier teams have arrived to duke it out for the ultimate privilege of becoming IEM Katowice 2021 champions. After an arduous and scrappy fight, 8 challengers have found themselves up against the best of the best in the world. With the tallest task ahead of them, will the underdogs be able to steal the crown away from the superstars of the world? Or will the legendary teams continue to cement their place deeper into the history books?

With the prestigious IEM Katowice around the corner, 16 teams fight tooth and nail for 8 coveted spots at the main event taking place in around a week. With underdogs, world favorites, and dark horses all taking part in this brawl, I decided to take a look at the storylines for each team coming into the play-in stage and where their dreams and aspirations lie. Will these teams crumble under the pressure to perform under the big stage? Or will they finally elevate their careers to the point of stardom?