On July 23rd, the summer’s premier LAN event — IEM Cologne 2025 — kicked off in style. The first stage of the tournament gathered 16 teams starting their journey toward the main event (Group Stage), and it became immediately clear: there would be no room for hesitation, and mistakes would be punished. All eight upper bracket round of 16 matches were played in best-of-three format, and while most ended in 2:0 scorelines, each series told its own deeper story — from comebacks to total domination.
FaZe vs BIG — Scandinavian blitz from rain and frozen
- Maps: Inferno (13:7), Ancient (13:9)
BIG put their faith in classic Inferno but faced a disciplined FaZe defense and some strong clutch plays by broky. The second map, Ancient — FaZe’s pick — showed how well this roster controls mid-rounds and key positions. rain stood out with 13 entry kills and confident site holds.
Liquid vs paiN — No chance for Brazil
- Maps: Mirage (13:7), Dust2 (13:8)
Liquid’s new roster looked confident and cohesive. Mirage started close at 6:6, but Liquid ran away with the game after halftime. Dust2 offered a bit more resistance, but siuhy’s leadership and smart utility usage secured the win without much trouble. paiN collapsed — none of their players had a rating above 0.94.
3DMAX vs MIBR — Brazilian meltdown
- Maps: Train (13:9), Ancient (13:5)
Train seemed like MIBR’s opportunity to bounce, but the French side was simply better prepared tactically. Ancient turned into a slaughter — 3DMAX were faster, cleaner, and dominant in every engagement. MIBR now head to the lower bracket with no real sense of momentum.
NiP vs Heroic — Character wins series
- Maps: Nuke (10:13), Overpass (13:9), Ancient (13:9)
After a narrow 5:7 halftime loss on Nuke, NiP regrouped and fought back on Overpass with r1nkle and ejwjerkz leading the charge. Ancient became a showcase of individual brilliance from r1nkle once again, with strong backup from Snappi. Heroic, meanwhile, struggled with team cohesion — most notably LNZ, who ended with a 0.72 rating and -20 K/D.
GamerLegion vs Complexity — REZ and PR set the tempo
- Maps: Inferno (13:3), Nuke (13:10)
GamerLegion demolished Complexity on Inferno, winning the opponent’s map pick 13:3. Nuke was slightly more contested but never truly out of GL’s hands. Complexity looked lifeless — their best player only posted a 0.84 rating.
Virtus.pro vs TYLOO — Ruthless punishment
- Maps: Inferno (13:7), Overpass (13:5)
Virtus.pro gave TYLOO no breathing room. Even with some flashy moments from JamYoung, VP controlled every round, showcasing classic discipline and spacing. Overpass was a clinical display of map control. TYLOO’s Attacker ended the series with a disastrous 0.50 rating — a crushing blow.
Astralis vs B8 — Two maps, two stories
- Maps: Mirage (13:2), Inferno (16:12)
Astralis opened the series with a brutal Mirage stomp, but Inferno turned into a real contest. B8 even held a mid-round lead, but the Danes’ experience and composure shone through in the closing stages. Ukrainian rifler esential struggled heavily, ending 17-34 with a 0.58 rating.
FURIA vs FlyQuest — A playoff-worthy comeback
- Maps: Inferno (13:7), Dust2 (17:19), Mirage (13:10)
FlyQuest put up a spectacular fight. After dropping the first map, they managed to steal Dust2 in overtime and looked dangerous on Mirage as well. But yuurih and KSCERATO activated “beast mode,” while YEKINDAR clutched multiple critical rounds. Despite the loss, FlyQuest proved they’re a team to watch.
Lower Bracket: Elimination Matches Set for Thursday
The losing teams from round one aren’t out — Stage 1 features a double-elimination format. But from now on, every series is do-or-die:
- TYLOO vs Complexity
- MIBR vs Heroic
- paiN vs BIG
- FlyQuest vs B8
On Thursday, four teams will already be sent home.
Key Takeaways
- FaZe, Liquid, GamerLegion, and Astralis were the most convincing winners of round one.
- FURIA and NiP showed great resilience in close, multi-map series.
- FlyQuest and Heroic may have lost, but both showed strong potential.
- Complexity, paiN, and B8 have serious issues with individual form and coordination.
With the lower bracket heating up, Stage 1 already feels like playoffs — and the real war is just beginning.
