The excitement of IEM Cologne 2025 continues to attract top contenders. GamerLegion and Astralis, who were both major European competitors, the tournament following their failure to get out of the Group Stage. With their exits, the competition scene has changed and now the heavyweight contests are set to hit the next round.
GamerLegion’s Journey Ends
GamerLegion came into the Group Stage with some really good wins over Complexity and Virtus.pro during the Play-Ins. They were halted by Team Falcons, which forced them into the lower bracket of Group A. Following that, they faced 3DMAX: GamerLegion took Overpass, but 3DMAX hit back on Inferno, and it all came down to Dust II. After an intense triple overtime, the French team 3DMAX advanced at the expense of GamerLegion, keeping their tournament hopes alive.
Astralis Falls to FURIA’s Resurgence
Astralis were eliminated versus FURIA in Group B, ending their hopes for the major. The Brazilian team, who recently moved into the top 10 of the regional rankings for Valve, showed their quality on Inferno before getting the job done on Dust II. FURIA performance at the event resulted in the Danish side getting ousted from the tournament. FURIA needs to face Team Falcons in the next round of the lower bracket. The winner gets a place in the final of the lower bracket.
Upcoming Group Stage Battles
Now that Astralis and GamerLegion are gone, everyone will focus on who fights for the play-offs. More than the top positions, it will be exciting to see who gets to move ahead.
- Team Falcons vs FURIA.
- G2 Esports vs 3DMAX.
- Liquid and FaZe Clan will compete.
- Ninjas in Pajamas Take on Heroic
- MOUZ vs NAVI.
- Team Spirit vs Aurora Gaming
With a spot in the high-profile Lanxess arena up for grabs, the stakes are high. ESL’s streaming channels on Twitch and YouTube will allow fans to follow the action live.
What to Expect as the Tournament Progresses
The group stage of the tournament is heating up. Each round is becoming more intense in the race for the play-offs. The removal of two solid squads displays the volatility of top-notch Counter-Strike, which is subject to momentum swings and potential upsets. Fans can expect more drama and surprises in the next matches as they take place.
The IEM Cologne 2025 story is not over, with remaining squads ready to tussle it out for more championship glory.