IEM Katowice 2025 playoffs: Preview

The MongolZ losing 0-2 to NAVI and Spirit bouncing back to win a 2-1 series against GamerLegion yesterday concluded IEM Katowice 2025's group stage. After giving players a break to reset and prepare for the playoffs the first set of games, the quarter-finals will begin on Friday, 7th February 2025.

The opening game in the playoffs features The MongolZ, the first ever Asian team to make it to an IEM Katowice playoffs taking on Eternal Fire, the first ever Turkish team to make it to an IEM Katowice playoffs. The MongolZ have looked strong throughout the tournament up until their loss to NAVI yesterday. Eternal Fire won a never-ending game of Nuke against FaZe yesterday to book their quarter-final slot, pushing the game to 47 rounds of play at 25-22.

The MongolZ have had a great 2024, marking multiple milestones including a playoffs appearance at the Perfect World Shanghai 2024 Major, pushing Asian Counter-Strike forward to gain two extra slots for the next Major.

Virtus.pro takes on the current world #1, Spirit in the second quarter-final. After conceding the upper semi-final to NAVI in group B, Spirit took down Liquid and GamerLegion in the lower bracket to make it to the quarter-final and Virtus.pro stunned G2 in group A's opening game and made it to the upper-final after taking down Eternal Fire.

After a flawless performance in the group stage, Vitality are sitting in the first semi-final, awaiting the winner of The MongolZ - Eternal Fire quarter-final game. NAVI will start in the second semi-final after winning their group stage games against FURIA, Spirit and The MongolZ. Both NAVI and Vitality have dropped just a single map in the tournament so far.