The French team 3DMAX produced one of the biggest upsets of the second lower-bracket round at IEM Cologne 2025, defeating TYLOO 2–0 and advancing to Stage 2. For 3DMAX, this wasn’t just a victory — it was a symbolic revenge for four straight losses to TYLOO in previous meetings, including painful defeats at FISSURE Playground 1 and ESL Pro League.
Match storyline: two heavy blows from 3DMAX
Inferno (22:20)
TYLOO picked their beloved Inferno, a map where they had repeatedly bested the French squad, but this time 3DMAX rewrote history. The fierce battle dragged into overtime, where Lucky and bodyy took control, and the French team closed the map 22:20, snatching victory right out of the Chinese team’s hands.
Ancient (13:10)
On the second map, 3DMAX took full initiative. Despite brief bursts of aggression from JamYoung and Jee, the French side controlled the game. Lucky kept dominating, while Ex3rcice brought the needed firepower to shut down Ancient and seal the series 2–0.
Player statistics for the match
3DMAX: a form that inspires
3DMAX continue to show growing stability, winning three of their last five matches. Before today, they had beaten MIBR, paiN, and Rare Atom, with only losses to NiP and a recent defeat to TYLOO leaving a bitter aftertaste. The team is steadily restoring France’s name on the top tier, and this match was proof that 3DMAX can finally take down their long-time “tormentors.”
- Lucas “Lucky” Chastang (59–45, 1.31 rating, 91.2 ADR) — the undisputed hero of the match, closing out crucial rounds.
- bodyy (52–51, 1.15 rating) kept the balance and consistently contributed on both maps.
- Ex3rcice (49–44, 1.07 rating) created openings in early duels, setting the tone for the attacks.
TYLOO: a shaky form
The Chinese team, which recently shocked the scene with wins over Astralis (3:1 in the FISSURE Playground 1 final) and SAW, looked far less convincing in Cologne. Although they’ve won four of their last five series, their loss to Virtus.pro and today’s defeat raise questions about the lineup’s consistency.
- Moseyuh (54–47, 1.18 rating) and Jee (47–36, 1.17 rating) looked solid, but there wasn’t enough support from Mercury and JamYoung.
- JamYoung, the MVP of FISSURE Playground 1, had a decent showing (41–50, 0.91 rating) but couldn’t swing the game in the clutch moments.
3DMAX’s brilliant revenge
This win carries a special meaning for 3DMAX. Before this match, TYLOO had beaten them in all two previous encounters — one in ESL Pro League and one in FISSURE Playground 1 (including painful 7–13 and 9–13 scorelines). Today, the French squad broke that curse, doing it convincingly, without dropping a single map, and crushing TYLOO on their Inferno pick.
What’s next?
3DMAX march on to Stage 2 of IEM Cologne 2025, proving that their victories over Brazilian and Asian teams are no fluke. TYLOO, meanwhile, head home — realizing that after their loud triumph in Belgrade, they still can’t maintain a consistently high level of play on the world stage.
Today’s match wasn’t just a 2–0 scoreline — it’s a story of how 3DMAX finally settled old scores with TYLOO.
