Playoffs qualification! Vitality, Falcons to hit the final brackets at IEM Cologne 2025

The Group stage of Counter-Strike 2 Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2025 (IEM Cologne 2025) began with four teams, and after just one match, they are set to advance to the quarterfinals, with Falcons encountering particularly challenging opponents.

On the opening day, no team from the Play-In stage defeated their opponents, meaning only the directly seeded teams secured spots in the semifinals, giving them an early opportunity to qualify for the playoffs. The Group A upper semifinals, scheduled for July 27, feature the world's top teams competing for advancement.

The winners of the Group A semifinals will progress to the final brackets, with an additional upper final match determining exact seeding; the group winner advances directly to the playoffs semifinal, securing a prestigious spot on the main stage. These playoff qualification matches will be streamed live after the MOUZ vs Team Liquid match.

Out of the 16 teams in the Group stage, only six will advance to the playoffs, highlighting the competitive intensity of the tournament, which marks the start of the new season leading to the Budapest Major 2025.

Falcons, despite being favorites, struggled at the Austin Major 2025 with a 20th–22nd place finish, which was considered a disaster. However, a roster change—replacing Magisk with kyousuke—has shown promise, as evidenced by their opening win against Play-In qualifiers GamerLegion.

In contrast, The MongolZ have maintained strong form throughout 2025, consistently achieving 3rd–4th and 2nd place finishes in CS2 events, including a notable run to the grand final of the BLAST Austin Major.