The curtain has been drawn on the IEM Katowice 2025 Group Stage, with six teams now locked in for the Playoffs. The Spodek Arena awaits, as one of Counter-Strike’s biggest events comes to life in front of a crowd of thousands.
Ahead of today’s action, two final Playoffs spots were up for grabs. Here’s how the action went down amid the scramble to secure a place at the IEM Katowice 2025 Quarter-Finals.
Credit: ESL
Falcons complete Lower Bracket run to reach the Spodek
After a turbulent Lower Bracket run at IEM Katowice 2025, Falcons were able to grab the final Playoffs spot by beating NAVI comfortably 2:0 on Ancient and Mirage. When they first lost 2:0 to Eternal Fire in their opening match, it would’ve been easy to think they were not long for this tournament. However, they’ve battled back admirably, taking down Rebels, Complexity, and now NAVI along the way.
The main positive for Falcons is the visible progress from game to game. Superteams aren’t built overnight – even if you buy the best players right away. With AWPer SunPayus finally showing some better form, Falcons will fancy their chances at a deep run, with ENCE awaiting them in the Quarter-Finals.
Holders G2 make it to the big stage
In last chance saloon, holders of the trophy G2 became the final team to qualify from the IEM Katowice 2025 Group Stage, beating Heroic 2:0 to give themselves the best chance of retaining the trophy that kicked off their 2025 last year. G2 have been a mixed bag at Katowice so far, scraping by as “m0NESY and friends,” but needing more from the rest of the team.
Against Heroic, it was a little different. Of course, m0NESY was still putting up crazy numbers, but this time, he had help. NiKo found his groove across the series, while nexa, HooXi, and huNter- all offered enough to see off the Heroic threat. The win condition for G2 is simple – the floor of their lowest performers needs to raise. If they can continue as they did against Heroic, G2 might have more to say in Katowice yet.
Katowice is the donk show
Credit: IEM on X.
There’s no denying it – IEM Katowice 2025 is the donk show. Every match, the 17-year-old Spirit prodigy has been questioned. “Surely the next test will be a step too far?” the doubters say. This time around, it was FaZe Clan to try to put down the donk hype train. After all, if he can do it against FaZe Clan, there’s no question about his ceiling. So, how did he get on?
Even FaZe proved too easy for donk, who went 48-24 across the series, which went the way of Spirit in 2:0 fashion. This is a breakout tournament for donk, the likes of which we’ve not seen in a very long time, and if he goes all the way, possibly ever. His next test will be either Falcons or ENCE, at the Spodek Arena in the Semi-Finals of IEM Katowice 2025. If he can handle the bright lights and the pressure of the big stage, we could be watching the beginnings of the new king of Counter-Strike for the next decade or longer.
The full list of teams competing in the IEM Katowice 2025 Playoffs are:
- ENCE
- Team Falcons
- FaZe Clan
- G2
- Team Spirit
- MOUZ
