As indomitably as ever, time has ticked on. It’s been a year since Team Spirit lifted the trophy at IEM Katowice 2024, bolstered by the new kid on the block, Donk. Now, it’s time for one of the greatest tournaments on the circuit to hit our screens once more. In this viewer’s guide, we’re going to take a look at each of the teams heading into the group stage and explain what we think you can expect from them.
In order to help us achieve this, we are unveiling an exciting new bit of equipment: the Pimp-o-meter! Master analyst Jacob “Pimp” Winneche has helped us out by rating each of the teams on a scale of 1-5, in terms of his excitement for them heading into Kato’. The higher the number, the higher the excitement. So, without further ado, let’s jump into the teams competing in IEM Katowice 2025!
Spirit
What is there to say about Team Spirit that hasn’t already been said a hundred times? These guys are the real deal, and are certainly the top dogs going into Kato’. Hot off a Major victory, Spirit hoisted the trophy at BLAST Bounty, opening their year with yet more silverware. Will the reigning champions be able to hold onto their crown? Of course, when you’re at the top, all the teams below you will be following every detail down to the minutiae in an attempt to gain a competitive edge, so there is always the chance for a well-practised team to throw in an upset.
What does our patented Pimp-o-meter say? Well, Pimp rated Spirit 5/5!
G2
Get your tiny violins out, because we can’t start a segment about G2 without allowing a brief moment to eulogise Nikola “NiKo” Kovač’s tenure on their roster. Whilst Malbs is proving to be a worthy star in his own right, losing a contender for the greatest rifler in Counter-Strike history is always going to be a challenge. The pertinent questions are as follows: Will m0nesy go crazy and find his world-beating form? Will Malbs stand up to the task of replacing NiKo? And will HeavyGod stand tall against the myriad of teams who will be looking to execute upon him?
G2 are always an exciting prospect. On their day, they have the potential to beat anyone in the server. Besides, any team with m0nesy on it has a ceiling more beautiful than the Sistine Chapel.
Our Pimp-o-meter rates G2 at a 4/5.
NAVI
NAVI are an interesting one. They have proven that they are a roster which is arguably greater than the sum of its parts. On any given day, any given player on the team can play like the brightest star. With B1ad3 and Aleksib at the helm of the Ukrainian org’s roster, they are always a formidable foe. If Ihor “w0nderful” Zhdanovcan finds his form with the Big Green, and if any of Aleksi’s other pieces wake up and choose violence, NAVI are always a top contender for the confetti shower.
Pimp has rated NAVI at a 4.5/5 – hot on Spirit’s heels!
Vitality
There is a certain air of excitement around the Vitality roster, at the moment. From analysts and casters speculating about how the new role changes will play out, to players speaking with surety about their chances to win it all, the French organization appears to be ready to reclaim some time in the sun. Picking up Robin “ropz” Kool (for free!) was a masterstroke from Vitality, and their prospects seem perfectly set up for success in 2025. The only question is, will they be able to pick up steam in Katowice, after a disappointing finish in the BLAST Bounty?
Our Pimp-o-meter rates Vitality at 4/5.
FaZe
Always an exciting team to watch – “The most entertaining team in Counter-Strike history” according to Chad “SPUNJ” Burchill – FaZe look set to impress in 2025. Picking up Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski has added some proactivity to the team, and the prospect of having arguably the greatest player in the history of NA Counter-Strike joining forces with a strong contender for the GOAT IGL is never going to be a boring affair. The questions for FaZe are: how will Rain adapt to picking up lurk roles, how quickly will EliGE be able to find his form in a new environment, and will FaZe’s signature chaotic style of CS work in their favor? Notoriously slow in group stages, if FaZe make a deep run and are allowed to pick up steam…well, who knows what could happen!
Pimp has rated FaZe at a 4/5.
MOUZ
In a Rostermania so filled with seismic team shake-ups, MOUZ can probably take the title of ‘Most Shocking Roster Move’. Suddenly, and without so much as a rumble of warning, Kamil “siuhy” Szkaradek was benched from the team. Brollan has been given the unenviable task of following in the Polish IGL’s footsteps at the helm of the team, and MOUZ have picked up Lotan “Spinx” Giladi. However, due to the Katowice roster lock, Spinx will not be able to play. Instead, Adrian “xelex” Vincze from the Mouz NXT Academy will stand in for the length of the tournament. It’s safe to say that this MOUZ line-up is facing some definite challenges heading into Kato’…the question is, how well will they be able to perform despite them?
Our Pimp-o-meter has MOUZ coming in at a middling 3/5.
Eternal Fire
Hot off the deepest of runs at BLAST Bounty – falling at the hands of Team Spirit in the final – Eternal Fire seem ready to turn up the heat in 2025. Engin “MAJ3R” Küpeli’s conditioning-heavy calling style worked wonderfully in the BLAST Bounty tournament, forcing opponents to counteract solid, deliberate gameplans and consistent assaults on areas that EF have recognised as defensive weaknesses. And, as any Counter-Strike fan will know, an Eternal Fire with XANTARES popping off is a truly dangerous beast.
Pimp has rated Eternal Fire at 3.5/5 in terms of excitement. Let’s see if they can keep their form up heading into Katowice!
The MongolZ
One of the most exciting teams to watch in any matchup, The MongolZ always offer a great viewing experience. With their incredible aim, aggressive playstyle, and capacity to pull off astounding underdog victories against the best in the world, the team led by a chess FIDE Master is always a hot prospect. Their run in the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 was impressive to say the least, taking down G2, MOUZ, and Heroic before falling to MOUZ in a rematch in the Quarter Final. Keep an eye on Usukhbayar “910” Banzragch, who has been exhibiting solidly increasing form on the AWP in the latter half of 2024.
Checking in with our Pimp-o-meter, The MongolZ have been rated a 4/5.
FURIA
With an impressive showing of both resilience and domination in their two-map battle with Imperial FE, and the battle-hardening effects of a truly back-and-forth affair against Wildcard, FURIA’s play-in matches have certainly stress-tested the Brazilian roster coming into the group stages. Set to come up against NAVI in their first matchup, the team’s stars will have to be performing from the very beginning if they want to seal a positive start to the event. Of course, all they ever need is a sprinkling of that old FalleN magic (presente!) and a locked-in KSCERATO to look dangerous, and if the rest of the squad are hitting their shots…well, I wouldn’t want to be facing them in the server!
Pimp has rated FURIA at 2.5/5 in terms of excitement.
Liquid
After a loss to HEROIC followed by a necessary brace of victories to Complexity and Wildcard respectively, Team Liquid have qualified to the Katowice group stages. The squad, led by the in-game leadership of Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken, closed their last play-in map in style, with a 13-0 drubbing of Wildcard. Bolstered by the introduction of Guy “NertZ” Iluz, the team are looking to march into the groups in style. The zeitgeist has been questioning the decision of Twistzz to take over the mantle of IGL from the very start…perhaps Kato’ 2025 is the time and place to win over the doubters?
Pimp has rated Team Liquid a solid 3/5.
Falcons
Remember those tiny violins from earlier? It’s time to put them away and get out your tiny celebratory trumpets instead. Team Falcons picking up NiKo is a fantastic sign for the Saudi Arabian organization, who are edging ever closer to putting together the super team to end all super teams. Finally, we have a Falcons roster that really looks like it can do some serious damage in the server.
With Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski’s calling, the dependable Emil “Magisk” Reif, an explosive AWPer in Abdulkhalik “degster” Gasanov, and a René “TeSeS” Madsen who looked in lights-out form in the BLAST Bounty, this really could be Team Falcons’ time to shine. However, this is a very new roster, so the pitfalls of early doors team CS could be a thorn in the side for the team.
Pimp has rated Team Falcons at 3/5 on the excitement scale.
Astralis
Astralis. A name synonymous with once-great lineups, total domination, and a chokehold on the professional Counter-Strike scene. Nowadays, things are looking considerably different for the Danish organization. With Casper “cadiaN” Møller calling for his ex-HEROIC teammates of Martin “stavn” Lund and Jakob “jabbi” Nygaard, alongside Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz and Victor “Staehr” Staehr, the team are still looking to find true consistency in the server. There is no doubt that this roster has potential, but so far the results have been mostly evading them. Perhaps Katowice 2025 is the right moment for the Danes to truly click, and roll back the years for their organization.
Pimp has rated Astralis 3/5 in terms of excitement.
Virtus.pro
Virtus.pro are in an interesting phase, of late. The Russian org benched their long-time IGL Dzhami “Jame” Ali after “Long, comprehensive, and very difficult” discussions, according to VP CEO Nikolai Petrossian. Irrespective of your opinions on this move, it is important to recognize that VP will now look very different in terms of the Counter-Strike they are playing. Jame’s slow, save-heavy late-round calling style is no longer the de facto Virtus.pro playstyle, leaving them open to iterative changes and potential surprises over the weeks and months to come. The main question is, will Denis “electroNic” Sharipov be able to find the form that shot him to stardom in the first place, or will VP be destined for an underwhelming Katowice run?
Our Pimp-o-meter has Virtus.pro rated at 2.5/5.
3DMAX
With strong showings vs FlyQuest and MIBR in the play-ins, 3DMAX are coming into Katowice ready to do some damage to the new version of Vitality in their first game of the group stage. Bryan “Maka” Canda’s AWPing impact will be essential to finding those crucial advantages, and their rifling core will have to be at the top of their game. It’ll be a tough start for the French organization, but they’ve shown the capacity to lock in and take those must-win rounds in the run-up to the groups, so keep an eye out for some potential upsets.
Pimp has rated 3DMAX a 2/5. Will they prove him wrong, and come out of the gates in an exciting fashion?
BIG
Whilst their play-ins run started with a difficult 0-2 loss to Wildcard, BIG’s next couple of matches (two 2:0 victories against Imperial FE and HEROIC) were a much better showing from the German organization. With their new AWPer, Marcel “hyped” Köhn, getting his second stint in the team, and a strong rifling core of Karim “Krimbo” Moussa, Johannes “tabseN” Wodarz, Jon “JDC” de Castro, and Can “kyuubii” Ali, BIG definitely have the opportunity to make some waves heading into Katowice’s group stage. Will they be able to continue the form of their last two play-in matches, or will BIG falter with a return to their unfortunate form against Wildcard?
Our Pimp-o-meter has rated BIG at 2/5. It’s safe to say, they have something to prove.
GamerLegion
With a dominant victory over paiN and a strong performance against SAW already under their belts in the play-ins, GamerLegion are looking to continue their positive form against MOUZ in their opening group stage game. The new home of Fredrik “REZ” Sterner has come out of the Rostermania period with a solid team. Their coach, Ashley “ash” Battye, stated that he was “very happy” with the roster on a recent ESL Coach Roundtable, and it’s easy to see why. If they get a strong start against the newly restructured MOUZ, GamerLegion could very well be on to something impressive in Katowice.
Our Pimp-o-meter rates GamerLegion at a 2.5/5 – exactly halfway up the excitement scale.
