This weekend, GamerLegion and Astralis were eliminated from the Counter-Strike competition at Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Cologne 2025 in massive upsets. European sides took a tumble in the tough Group Stage round. That sets up some tantalising matches as the tournament unfolds.
GamerLegion’s Journey Ends
Although they defeated Complexity and Virtus.pro in the Play-In stage, GamerLegion quickly found themselves in the lower bracket of Group A after losing to Team Falcons.
In the elimination match, they faced off against 3DMAX, who also suffered from a loss against The MongolZ in their Group A opener. GamerLegion took Overpass, 3DMAX hit back on Inferno, and things were very close throughout the series. The final map, Dust II, produced some magnificent Counter-Strike action with 3DMAX eventually winning after a superb triple overtime to keep their hopes of making it to the Lanxess Arena alive.
FURIA Sends Astralis Packing
Astralis faces off against FURIA in the second elimination bout, taking place in Group B. The Brazilian group, having just gained their entry into Valve Regional Standings (VRS) top ten, was dominant against the Danish veterans. FURIA dominated the opening map, Inferno, from the start before powering through Dust II to complete a clean sweep and send Astralis home earlier than expected.
FURIA will face Team Falcons in an arduous matchup with this win, and the winner will go to the lower bracket final.
Upcoming Matches at IEM Cologne 2025
The tournament intensity ramps up as remaining teams continue their campaign through the Group Stage. Several Playoff spots are on the line in the key matches on Monday, July 28th.
- Team Falcons vs FURIA.
- G2 Esports vs 3DMAX.
- Team Liquid vs FaZe Clan.
- Ninjas in Pyjamas vs HEROIC.
- MOUZ vs NAVI.
- Aurora Gaming vs Team Spirit.
CS2 Fans can Watch All the Action LIVE On Official Twitch and YouTube Channel Of ESL.