Two major teams, FURIA and Team Liquid, have secured their spots in the Group Stage of Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Cologne 2025. This means the Brazilian and North American squads are moving forward to face off with some of the best in Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), right in the heart of Cologne, Germany.
FURIA, Liquid, HEROIC, Astralis and 3DMAX Move On
FURIA’s clash with Astralis in the upper bracket final of the Play-Ins saw Danil ‘molodoy’ Golubenko shine. His inspired play helped FURIA take a clean 2-0 victory over the Danes, booking their ticket to the next phase.
Team Liquid had a tougher road after an early loss to FaZe Clan. They faced off against FlyQuest, a team featuring former Liquid player Justin ‘jks’ Savage who was looking strong in his debut. Despite jks’s efforts, Liquid managed to hold their ground and won the series 2-1 to advance.
In the lower bracket, HEROIC crushed Virtus.pro with solid performances on Overpass and Mirage, while 3DMAX knocked out TYLOO, ending the run of the FISSURE Playground 1 champions.
Astralis bounced back from their defeat to FURIA by taking down PaiN Gaming, who had earlier upset BIG and made a solid Austin Major Playoff appearance. The Danes won 2-1 to grab the last Group Stage spot.
so Virtus.Pro, FlyQuest, 3DMAX, and Astralis are out of the Play-Ins, while FURIA, Team Liquid, HEROIC, and Astralis join the others in the Group Stage.
IEM Cologne 2025 Group Stage
With Play-Ins wrapped up, focus shifts to the Group Stage where the top eight teams from the June Valve Regional Standings (VRS) will start their campaigns. The eight Play-Ins survivors will be drawn against these invited squads in another GSL bracket format, all preparing for a spot in the Playoffs.
Here are the first Group Stage matchups:
- Team Falcons vs GamerLegion
- FURIA vs G2 Esports
- 3DMAX vs The MongolZ
- MOUZ vs Team Liquid
- FaZe Clan vs NAVI
- Aurora Gaming vs Ninjas in Pyjamas
- HEROIC vs Team Spirit
- Team Vitality vs Astralis
If you want to catch all the action, head over to ESL’s Twitch channel or their YouTube page for live coverage.
What do you think about these matchups? Can FURIA and Team Liquid keep their momentum going?
