{"id":40953,"date":"2025-02-04T18:41:16","date_gmt":"2025-02-04T23:41:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/?p=40953"},"modified":"2025-02-04T18:41:16","modified_gmt":"2025-02-04T23:41:16","slug":"team-spirit-eternal-fire-win-through-to-iem-katowice-playoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/team-spirit-eternal-fire-win-through-to-iem-katowice-playoffs\/","title":{"rendered":"Team Spirit &#038; Eternal Fire win through to IEM Katowice playoffs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The final day of Stage 2 of the <a href=\"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/electronic-sports-league\/intel-extreme-masters\/\" title=\"Intel Extreme Masters betting guide\">Intel Extreme Masters (IEM)<\/a> Katowice event took place on Tuesday, with the final three playoff spots decided by the last six series.<\/p>\n<p>GamerLegion kept their hopes alive in Katowice with a commanding 2-0 victory over Astralis (Nuke 13-7, Mirage 13-7), eliminating the Danish <a href=\"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/counter-strike\/\" title=\"Counter-Strike 2 betting guide\">Counter-Strike 2<\/a> side from contention.<\/p>\n<p>The win propelled GamerLegion into a decisive match against Spirit later in the day, with a place in the Spodek Arena on the line.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PRcsgoo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@PRcsgoo<\/a> deals the knock out blow on Mirage as <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GamerLegion?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@GamerLegion<\/a> 2-0 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AstralisCS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@AstralisCS<\/a> to remove them from <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/IEM?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#IEM<\/a> Katowice 2025 \ud83d\udc40<\/p>\n<p>13-7 Nuke<br \/>13-7 Mirage <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/tT71iJIguE\">pic.twitter.com\/tT71iJIguE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Intel\u00ae Extreme Masters (@IEM) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IEM\/status\/1886785483566375399?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 4, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The series kicked off on Nuke, where a tight first half was followed by an explosive GamerLegion terrorist side.<\/p>\n<p>They strung together six consecutive rounds to clinch a dominant win on Astralis\u2019s map pick, setting the tone for Mirage.<\/p>\n<p>On the second map, Old\u0159ich &#8220;PR&#8221; Nov\u00fd led the charge with a 9-3 opening half.<\/p>\n<p>Astralis briefly resisted with a pistol-round win, but Erik &#8220;ztr&#8221; Gustafsson\u2019s squad closed it out in another comfortable 13-7 triumph.<\/p>\n<p>PR was the standout performer, delivering a staggering 1.82 rating across both maps, excelling especially on terrorist sides (28-8 K-D, 2.26 rating, 135 ADR).<\/p>\n<p>The victory further highlights GamerLegion\u2019s consistency in 2025, though concerns remain over their limited exposure to maps beyond Inferno, Nuke, and Mirage.<\/p>\n<p>Astralis, despite Nicolai &#8220;device&#8221; Reedtz\u2019s return at the start of the year, continue to struggle.<\/p>\n<p>A disappointing early exit from BLAST Bounty Spring was followed by an uninspiring run at <a href=\"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/iem-katowice\/cs2\/\" title=\"IEM Katowice betting guide\">IEM Katowice<\/a>, with their only notable win coming against FURIA Esports.<\/p>\n<p>Casper &#8220;cadiaN&#8221; M\u00f8ller acknowledged their difficulties, particularly on counter-terrorist sides, where they held a concerning 32.4% win rate across seven maps.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Team__Spirit?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Team__Spirit<\/a> are not ready to go home just yet.<\/p>\n<p>They put up a strong match against <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TeamLiquidCS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@TeamLiquidCS<\/a> in order to stay alive at <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/IEM?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#IEM<\/a> Katowice 2025 <\/p>\n<p>13-10 Nuke<br \/>13-8 Dust 2 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/iMz5zmBDJd\">pic.twitter.com\/iMz5zmBDJd<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Intel\u00ae Extreme Masters (@IEM) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IEM\/status\/1886784370251309105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 4, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Team Spirit secured a spot in the Group B lower bracket final with a 2-0 win over Team Liquid, led by another stellar showing from Danil &#8220;donk&#8221; Kryshkovets.<\/p>\n<p>Liquid, now eliminated, will have a month-long break before competing in <a href=\"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/counter-strike\/esl-pro-league\/\" title=\"ESL Pro League betting guide\">ESL Pro League Season 21<\/a> in March.<\/p>\n<p>Despite their exit, coach Torbj\u00f8rn &#8220;mithR&#8221; Nyborg remained optimistic, citing significant progress in refining their playbook under Russel &#8220;Twistzz&#8221; Van Dulken\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n<p>In another key matchup, Eternal Fire stunned FaZe Clan with a hard-fought 2-0 win (Anubis 13-4, Nuke 25-22), securing a quarterfinal spot.<\/p>\n<p>The Turkish squad, making back-to-back playoff appearances after their BLAST Bounty runner-up finish, showcased resilience, particularly on Nuke, where Ismailcan &#8220;XANTARES&#8221; D\u00f6rtkarde\u015f dominated with a 49-32 K-D and 1.61 rating.<\/p>\n<p>FaZe fought back from a 9-3 deficit, but Eternal Fire\u2019s structured counter-terrorist side and crucial clutches proved decisive.<\/p>\n<p>GamerLegion\u2019s momentum was halted in their clash against Spirit for a quarterfinal berth.<\/p>\n<p>After an impressive Anubis performance, GamerLegion faltered on Ancient and Nuke as Spirit found their rhythm to claim a 2-1 victory.<\/p>\n<p>Coach Ashley &#8220;ash&#8221; Battye admitted that their lack of composure and coordination in crucial moments cost them dearly.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the loss, GamerLegion can take pride in their Katowice run, with promising signs emerging from their young lineup.<\/p>\n<p>With the playoffs set, six teams remain in contention for the IEM Katowice title from February 7-9.<\/p>\n<p>Spirit will defend their crown, but chinks in their armour\u2014evidenced by recent losses to Natus Vincere and GamerLegion\u2014suggest a tough road ahead.<\/p>\n<p>The playoff field consists of five top-eight-ranked teams, with notable absentees in G2 Esports, FaZe, and MOUZ.<\/p>\n<p>Natus Vincere and Team Vitality enter directly into the semi-finals after dominant upper-bracket campaigns, while The MongolZ and Eternal Fire will reignite their rivalry in a quarterfinal rematch of IEM Rio 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Spirit, fresh from their win over GamerLegion, now face a resurgent Virtus.pro led by Denis &#8220;electroNic&#8221; Sharipov.<\/p>\n<p>The winner will meet Natus Vincere in the semis, potentially setting up a high-stakes rematch between the reigning Katowice champions and one of their fiercest rivals.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">THE <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/IEM?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#IEM<\/a> KATOWICE 2025 PLAYOFFS BRACKET.<\/p>\n<p>Get ready for the Hall of Heroes \ud83c\udfc6 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/rYjKRIZDuY\">pic.twitter.com\/rYjKRIZDuY<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Intel\u00ae Extreme Masters (@IEM) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IEM\/status\/1886889972717740461?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 4, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/news\/\" class=\"contentLinkBtn\">Esports news<\/a><\/p>\n<hr>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Following the conclusion of Stage 2 at IEM Katowice 2025, the playoffs bracket is now set for the final three days of the Counter-Strike 2 event.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":26642,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ghostkit_customizer_options":"","ghostkit_custom_css":"","ghostkit_custom_js_head":"","ghostkit_custom_js_foot":"","ghostkit_typography":"","wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[152,3111,1919,127,2620,1081,132,128,434,215,3678,322],"class_list":["post-40953","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-astralis","tag-counter-strike-2","tag-eternal-fire","tag-faze-clan","tag-gamerlegion","tag-iem-katowice","tag-natus-vincere","tag-team-liquid","tag-team-spirit","tag-team-vitality","tag-the-mongolz","tag-virtus-pro"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40953","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40953"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40953\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40955,"href":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40953\/revisions\/40955"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40953"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40953"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esportbet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40953"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}