IEM Cologne 2025: Preview

Tier-1 Counter-Strike returns after the BLAST.tv Austin 2025 Major in the form of IEM Cologne. The iconic Cologne event's Stage 1 (play-in) begins tomorrow with sixteen teams locking horns in a double-elimination bracket. FISSURE Playground 1 champions, TYLOO received a Stage 1 invite based on their position in the Global VRS.

Filtering out half the population, the play-in sends the top eight into Stage 2, where they join the elites. The MongolZ will start directly in Stage 2, thanks to their top 8 rankings in the Global VRS. Alongside The MongolZ in Stage 2 are Spirit, MOUZ, NAVI, G2, Aurora, the star studded Falcons and Austin Major winners Vitality. IEM Cologne 2025 will the first event that Falcons play with their newest recruit, Kyousuke.

Stage 1's matchups are already set, with TYLOO taking on Virtus.pro in their opening game. On the other half of the bracket are GamerLegion and Complexity meaning which If TYLOO were to take down Virtus.pro and either of the latter, they confirm an IEM Cologne 2025 Stage 2 spot. TYLOO did face Virtus.pro recently at FISSURE Playground 1 where the Chinese team sidelined the Russians.

Stage 2 is divided into two groups, each hosting a double-elimination bracket to send a total of six teams into the single-elimination bracket playoffs. A bo5 grand-final determines the IEM Cologne 2025 champions. The main event carries a $1,000,000 USD prize pool.