s1mple will return to the LAN scene at the event in Poland, where a spot in the ESL Pro League awaits.

s1mple prepares to return to the LAN arena

The final ESL Challenger event of the year will kick off on Friday in Katowice, Poland, where eight teams will compete for a first prize of $50,000 and a spot in ESL Pro League Season 21.

The tournament in Poland will mark the LAN debuts of three players on their new roster, most notably Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev. The Ukrainian star, who played two matches at the Thunderpick World Championship earlier this week, has not competed on the LAN stage since Natus Vincere placed second at ESL Pro League 18, exactly one year ago.

Additionally, Lucas "Lucaozy" Neves will make his first LAN appearance with MIBR, and André "Ag1l" Gil will attend his first LAN event for team SAW after replacing Rafael "arrozdoce" Wing in the lineup main.

ESL Challenger Katowice will begin with a double-elimination group stage, with a best-of-one format in the opening round and winners' round, followed by a single-elimination playoff round.

Below are the tables and schedule of the first round:

ESL Challenger Katowice will feature many familiar faces on the commentary team, including Sam "Tech Girl" Wright as host at the analysis desk, Mike "DarfMike" Winnick as on-field host stage, and Geordie "Mac" McAleer as an analyst.