Eternal Fire , 3DMAX , and GamerLegion advance to the main stage of IEM Katowice 2025
The second day of competition at the IEM Katowice 2025 Play-in concluded with exciting matches. GamerLegion , 3DMAX , and Eternal Fire managed to advance to the main stage, while SAW and Imperial Fe ended their journey in the tournament.
Virtus.pro vs SAW
One of the first matches on the second day was between Virtus.pro and SAW . VP is currently undergoing a roster rebuild, which is why they are not considered clear favorites, but they managed to surprise.
Both maps were relatively easy for VP, losing 4 rounds on the first map and even fewer, 3 rounds, on the second. This easy victory over SAW gave them the opportunity to play against MIBR tomorrow for a spot in the main stage. In turn, SAW left the tournament.
pain vs GamerLegion
The second match was between the confident Brazilians and the new lineup of GamerLegion , where the game was expected to be a walk in the park for pain . But when the first half ended 9:3, many were surprised. Ultimately, the map ended 13:3, and the second 13:5, which also shocked everyone, as pain had been strong on Mirage, almost outplaying NAVI.
FlyQuest vs Astralis
The match started on Train, where FlyQuest unexpectedly managed to win 13:5 on the first map, ending the half 10:2. On the second map, Astralis managed to make a comeback and won the first half 11:1. FlyQuest tried to recover, winning 6 rounds, but it was not enough, and they lost 13:7. On the third map, the game was even, and the first half ended 6:6, but in the second, Astralis managed to win key rounds and claim victory.
3DMAX vs MIBR
In another match to qualify for the main stage of the tournament, 3DMAX secured a close victory over MIBR on the first map with a score of 19:16. Many expected MIBR to either win the second or keep it close, but no. 3DMAX easily won with a score of 13:5 and made it to IEM Katowice for the first time since 2015.
BIG vs Imperial Fe
This match was eagerly awaited as Imperial Fe had another chance to prove themselves on the tier-1 level, but this time, things went as in the previous two. Initially, they offered hope, with twenty3 finishing the map with a 21-13 score, the best result on Inferno, but it was not enough for victory.
On the second map, it was similar, but this time none of the Imperial Fe players managed to finish with a positive KD. The second map ended with a score of 13:5, and the girls with their coach headed home.
Heroic vs Eternal Fire
The last match of the second day was between Heroic and Eternal Fire , where the Turkish players were clear favorites. Despite this, Eternal Fire encountered problems on the first map but still won 13:11.
The second game was even more interesting, with Heroic managing to secure 5 rounds in a row on defense and push the game to overtime. There, Eternal Fire claimed victory and advanced to the main stage.
IEM Katowice 2025 takes place from January 29 to February 9 in Katowice, Poland . Twenty-four teams will compete for a prize pool of $1 million. You can follow the schedule and results of the event via this link.
