At IEM Cologne 2025, NAVI’s new roster featuring makazze had a confident start with a 2-1 win over FaZe, but later fell to MOUZ in the battle for a playoff spot. Despite a stellar performance from iM, it was the European squad that secured a 2-0 victory and moved closer to the semifinals, while NAVI will have to fight through the lower bracket.
Tournament Journey
The updated NAVI lineup with makazze made its debut at IEM Cologne in a match against FaZe, where the Ukrainian squad claimed a confident 2-1 victory. Makazze finished the series with 79.2 ADR and a 1.2 rating — a strong start considering the experience of their opponent.
MOUZ also started the tournament with a solid win, sweeping Liquid 2-0. XertioN delivered an outstanding individual performance with 96.6 ADR and a 1.38 rating.
Battle for the Playoffs
The first map of the NAVI vs MOUZ clash was Mirage, picked by the Ukrainian team. NAVI opened with four straight round wins, but MOUZ slowed down their momentum and ended the half narrowly behind — 5:7. In the second half, MOUZ seized the initiative and applied aggressive pressure that NAVI couldn’t handle. Despite incredible stats from iM (30 kills, 134.3 ADR, 1.9 rating), it wasn’t enough — MOUZ took the map 13:10.
The second map, Nuke, saw NAVI dominate the first half again, finishing it 9:3 in their favor, making a win seem within reach. However, after the side switch, NAVI lost control and allowed MOUZ to come back and close the map 13:10 once again. The 2-0 win secured a playoff spot for MOUZ.
Match MVP
Despite NAVI’s loss, iM was the clear standout of the match. He recorded 49 kills, averaged 105 ADR, and ended the series with a 1.44 rating. Still, as is often the case, a top-tier individual performance isn’t enough without full team support.
What’s Next?
For NAVI, the journey isn’t over. Tomorrow, they’ll face NiP in the lower bracket semifinal to stay alive in the tournament. The team will need to step up collectively instead of relying solely on iM.
Meanwhile, MOUZ will face the winner of Aurora vs Spirit for a direct spot in the IEM Cologne 2025 semifinals. Since Spinx joined the roster earlier this year, MOUZ haven’t missed a single playoff — and Cologne becomes yet another tournament where their consistency pays off.
