Hvilke IEM Köln-hold bør holde øje med i slutspilskampene?

The IEM Cologne 2025 playoffs run from August 1–3 and feature six elite teams fighting for the title. Vitality, the dominant favorite, is chasing their second ESL Grand Slam win of the season and awaits either MOUZ or FURIA in the semis. On the opposite side, Team Spirit looks set for the final but must get past NAVI or The MongolZ. Expect a Vitality vs Spirit grand final — unless MOUZ throws a wrench in the script.

Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2025: Playoff Schedule

IEM Cologne is heading toward its climax, with the playoff matches set to take place from August 1st to 3rd. We’ll see MOUZ take on FURIA in the quarterfinals, with the winner moving on to face Vitality in the semis. On the other side of the bracket, MongolZ and NAVI will battle it out for a semifinal spot against Team Spirit.

A fierce race for the trophy lies ahead for every team, and especially for Vitality. This is their second tournament in the ESL Pro Tour Grand Slam Season VI, having already won IEM Dallas. That victory started their path toward the four-event winning streak that could earn them $1 million in gold bars as a bonus on top of regular prize money.

IEM Cologne Teams: Every Participant’s Stats

Vitality are the expected grand final contenders — but who they’ll face is still up in the air. To find out, we’ll need to dive into each team’s description and stats to predict who might challenge the favorites of CS2 in 2025. Every team description was created based on data from all popular CS2 ranking systems. And every rating shows that Vitality will win anyway.

Vitality — The Undisputed King

Vitality stands today as the definitive powerhouse of Counter-Strike 2 — a team so dominant they’re already drawing comparisons to the Astralis’ CS:GO dynasty, and in many ways, they might be even stronger. This European roster, led by the fiery French captain apEX and coached by XTQZZZ, has become the face of the CS2 era. Anchored by the ever-consistent ZywOo, supported by the mechanical brilliance of ropz, flameZ, and mezii, the team has climbed to the #1 spot in EGW, HLTV, and Valve rankings — and hasn't looked back since.

Their dominance in 2025 is not just a narrative; it's historic. Vitality has already secured back-to-back tier-one championships, including IEM Dallas and the BLAST.tv Austin Major. At one point, they held a staggering 30-map win streak — an achievement that looked unbreakable until a tier-one underdog exploited a BO1 format and their own under-the-radar status to snatch a rare upset during the third stage of BLAST Austin. But that bump did little to slow the machine. Since then, Vitality has racked up nine consecutive match wins heading into the playoffs of IEM Cologne, where they await the MOUZ–FURIA winner in the semifinals.

This level of supremacy has shaped the entire competitive scene. Everyone knows who the favorite is; tournaments feel scripted around a single storyline — the era of a French-rooted European roster rewriting the legacy of CS2. Still, even dominant eras can end in a flash, and while Cologne doesn’t feel like the place for that downfall, the unpredictability of Counter-Strike means that moment could arrive when least expected. Just not this weekend.

MOUZ – The Real Threat

If there’s one team that has consistently stood toe-to-toe with Vitality in 2025, it’s MOUZ. They aren’t just contenders — they’re the most legitimate threat to ending Vitality’s era of dominance. Ranked #2 in the world by HLTV and #3 by Valve and EGW, this young and deadly European roster has evolved into a terrifying force under the strategic guidance of Danish coach sycrone. Despite a relatively low average age of 22.2, MOUZ play with the maturity and cohesion of a battle-hardened squad.

Their roster is brimming with firepower and versatility. Jimpphat and xertioN bring relentless aggression, while torzsi holds down rounds with consistency and clutch factor. Brollan, the latest addition, has found his rhythm at just the right time. But it’s the presence of Spinx — the ex-Vitality star — that adds an extra layer of danger. He knows his former team inside out, and his recent performances suggest he’s hungry to prove himself against the roster he once helped shape.

MOUZ has already met Vitality multiple times this year, and while the scoreboard hasn’t tilted in their favor just yet, the margins are narrowing. At IEM Dallas, they reached the grand final but fell 0–3. A few weeks later, at the Austin Major, they pushed Vitality to three maps in the semifinals — a sign of progress and resilience. And now, in Cologne, they’re back on track with strong wins over NAVI and Liquid, showing no signs of slowing down. Their only recent loss came to Spirit in a tight series, but it was hardly a collapse — just a reminder that MOUZ still have room to sharpen their blade.

Team Spirit – The Likeliest Finalist of IEM Cologne

Team Spirit has quietly built one of the deadliest squads in CS2, and heading into the IEM Cologne playoffs, they look like the most probable finalists from their side of the bracket. With donk continuing to perform as the most explosive rifler in the world, sh1ro locking down rounds with world-class AWPing, and chopper leading the team with unshakable composure, Spirit has already taken down Liquid, Heroic, Aurora, and MOUZ in Cologne alone. Sitting at #2 in the Valve rankings and fresh off a championship at PGL Astana, this young Russian-Ukrainian core is hitting peak form at the perfect time. If anyone is positioned to meet — and possibly upset — Vitality in the final, it’s Spirit.

The MongolZ Has a Chance to Rematch

The MongolZ are knocking on the door of another showdown with Vitality — and this time, they want revenge. After falling to the French-led giants twice in close series this year, including the grand final of the BLAST.tv Austin Major, the Mongolian squad has proven they're not just a Cinderella story but a legitimate top-tier threat. With a #3 HLTV ranking, a breakout year behind them, and a fearless core led by bLitz, they now face NAVI for a shot at the semifinals. If they win, the path to redemption — and a rematch with Vitality — becomes very real.

FURIA – Veteran Firepower

FURIA has quietly built serious momentum at IEM Cologne, and with a strong mix of experience and firepower, they’ve become a dark horse in the playoffs. FalleN’s leadership, combined with the consistency of yuurih and KSCERATO, and the raw explosiveness of YEKINDAR and newcomer molodoy, has created a lineup capable of upsetting anyone. After clean wins over G2, Falcons, and Astralis, they now face MOUZ in the quarterfinals — a matchup that could put them one step away from a legendary upset over Vitality.

image: HLTV

NAVI – Rebuilding Fast, Peaking Just in Time

NAVI entered IEM Cologne 2025 with a bringing rising talent makazze. After some early inconsistencies, the new roster is finally finding its rhythm under B1ad3’s guidance. Impressive wins over FaZe and NiP in the group stage have pushed them into the playoffs, where they’ll face The MongolZ for a chance at redemption and a deep Cologne run. With momentum building, NAVI’s new era may be arriving sooner than expected.

What to expect from IEM Cologne Playoffs?

The IEM Cologne playoffs promise to be the hottest stage of the tournament — star-studded Vitality awaits their opponent in the semifinals, where they could face either a revamped MOUZ or a recharged FURIA. On the other side of the grid, Team Spirit looks like a favorite against NAVI or The MongolZ, but both teams are capable of a surprise. The finale of Vitality vs Spirit is expected — two of the most consistent teams of the year, but if anyone is able to break the script, it will be MOUZ.

For a deeper dive into the tournament aspects, we suggest you check out our Viewer Guide, specially prepared for the playoff stage, where we have described the analytics of each match-up.

Where to Watch the Tournament?

You can easily head over to the CS2 events section and pick any ongoing tournament to follow. It’s also a great place to check results from past events and dates for what’s coming next. The IEM Cologne 2025 playoff matches will be streamed live on the official channels of the tournament organizer. Whether you prefer Twitch or YouTube, the broadcasts will be identical — just pick your platform and enjoy the culmination of top-tier Counter-Strike.