IEM Cologne 2025: Play-In and Groups Determined

The IEM Cologne 2025 tournament will take place in Cologne (LANXESS arena) from July 26 to early August (finals on August 3–4). The 24 best teams in the world, selected through the VRS ranking and qualifiers, will compete for a prize pool of $1,250,000. The organizers traditionally position IEM Cologne as the "Catholic assembly of Counter-Strike" – a tournament that follows majors in significance. This is why Cologne is often referred to as the "unofficial summer major," a tournament that no true CS fan can miss.

The tournament format is two-stage. In the Play-In stage, 16 teams participate (based on the VRS ranking – roughly "slots 9–24"). The Play-In bracket is double elimination, with all matches being Best-of-3. The eight winners will proceed to the main group stage. The group stage will feature 16 teams: 8 directly invited and 8 qualifiers. The group stage will follow the GSL format (double-elimination bracket) – two groups of 8 teams, with all games being Bo3. The group winners will directly advance to the semi-finals of the playoffs, while teams finishing 2nd and 3rd will move to the quarterfinals. The group stage begins on July 26, with playoffs running from August 1 to 3.

Invited teams: The following teams have directly qualified for the main stage based on their VRS ranking: Team Vitality, MOUZ, Team Spirit, Team Falcons, The MongolZ, Aurora Gaming, G2 Esports, and Natus Vincere. These teams have already been placed into two groups (four teams in each group). For instance, Group A consists of Vitality, Spirit, The MongolZ, and Aurora (with the winners of the Play-In still to be determined), while Group B features MOUZ, Falcons, G2, and NAVI (along with four Play-In winners). The remaining 16 participants will start from the Play-In: GamerLegion, Astralis, Heroic, Virtus.pro, Complexity, MIBR, NiP, paiN, FaZe, 3DMAX, Liquid, Ninjas in Pyjamas, B8, TYLOO, FlyQuest, and BIG. Many well-known teams will meet again in the Play-In: for example, the match between FaZe and Liquid is traditionally one of the most exciting (they already faced off in the Dallas 2025 group finals), while Virtus.pro vs Complexity could serve as a rematch from previous encounters.

The group stage promises to be highly competitive. Analysts typically view Liquid and FaZe as Play-In favorites (both recognized top teams with extensive major experience), along with Astralis and Ninjas in Pyjamas (who have strong new rosters). Experienced teams like Virtus.pro and Heroic could also secure a spot in the main stage. In the main groups, attention should be paid to Team Vitality and MOUZ – they hold the top positions in the world ranking and are clear title contenders. Spirit, Falcons, and The MongolZ should not be underestimated, as they have consistently finished in the top 3-4 in recent tournaments. G2 and NAVI will be under pressure: both "star" organizations have shown inconsistent results in recent months and will need to prove their strength on LAN.

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The winner of IEM Cologne 2025 will receive $400,000 in prize money and a direct invitation to the next major ESL Pro Tour event – IEM Katowice 2026. Success in Cologne is not only prestigious in itself but also sets the tone for the rest of the season. According to observers, IEM Cologne's intensity is second only to the majors and, in many ways, surpasses them, making this tournament hard to overestimate.

Group A: Vitality, Spirit, The MongolZ, Aurora Gaming (and 4 Play-In winners).

Group B: MOUZ, Team Falcons, G2 Esports, Natus Vincere (and 4 Play-In winners).