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IEM Chengdu 2025 Playoffs: Teams, Preview, Results and Predictions
The Group Stage of IEM Chengdu 2025 came to a close with only six of the sixteen participating teams qualifying for the Playoffs. The first stage of the competition delivered many unexpected results and concluded with The MongolZ upsetting Team Spirit to move ahead in the tournament.
Starting November 7, the remaining teams will battle in the knockout-style Playoffs. Let’s look at what the final stage of the competition has in store for us.
Teams and Format
The six teams qualified for the IEM Chengdu 2025 Playoffs are:
Group A
Group B
The #1 seed from both groups will be directly placed in the semifinals. The #2 seeds will take on the #3 seeds from the other group in the Bo3 quarterfinals for a spot in the semifinals. The winners of the Bo3 semifinals will advance to a Bo5 Grand Final, while the losers will play a Bo3 third-place decider.
Schedule and Results
Based on the group stage placements of the six qualifying teams, the fixtures and schedule for the Playoffs are as follows:
- Friday, November 7:
- 07:30 am CET | 10:30 pm PT (previous day): FURIA vs. The MongolZ
- 10:45 am CET | 01:15 pm PT (previous day): Astralis vs. Team Vitality
- Saturday, November 8:
- 07:30 am CET | 10:30 pm PT (previous day): Team Falcons vs. TBD
- 10:45 am CET | 01:15 pm PT (previous day): MOUZ vs. TBD
- Sunday, November 9:
- 05:00 am CET | 8:00 pm PT (previous day): Third place decider
- 09:00 am CET | 12:00 am PT: Grand Finals
Follow IEM Chengdu 2025 Playoffs on Strafe for live score and latest results.
Playoffs Preview and Prediction
The six remaining teams set the stage for an exciting conclusion to IEM Chengdu 2025. With the Budapest Major just two weeks away, the Chengdu Playoffs and the upcoming BLAST Rivals 2 serve as the final test laps before the teams enter the main race.
Quarterfinals Fixtures
The Opening round of IEM Chengdu 2025 Playoffs features four of the most interesting names in CS esports at the moment: the MongolZ, FURIA, Astralis and Team Vitality.
The clashes between these four will give us the second set of semifinals who'd take on the top seeds from the groups. Let's preview each of these match ups.
The MongolZ takes on FURIA
The MongolZ vs. FURIA has been shaping up to be an interesting rivalry in 2025. In terms of head-to-head, the two teams are dead even.
The recent results favor FURIA, naturally they are the favorites going into the match-up. They have time and again proved to be a kryptonite for the Mongolian squad, especially after the rookie AWPER Molodoy joined the squad.
Moreover, MongolZ will be playing with controlez, who has been subbing in for Senzu and doing it well. But FURIA still remains a team they have been struggling against. Said that, the Mongolian squad did take down donk and co. in the quarterfinals to book their playoffs spot, meaning this will not be an easy match-up for the Brazilians either.
Astralis takes on Team Vitality
Earlier this year, Team Vitality challenged the legacy of Astralis, after winning eight back-to-back titles. Tomorrow will be Astralis’s chance to throw a wrench in Team Vitality's climb back to the top before the Budapest Major 2025 kicks off.
Unfortunately for the Danish side, the odds aren’t in their favor. Not only is Team Vitality a better team, they themselves are extremely inconsistent, meaning they have to play lights out if they want to make a case for themselves. While the addition of Magisk to the squad has been paying significant dividends, against the monsters of Vitality, they would fall short.
Who will win IEM Chengdu 2025?
For all of the six teams alive, IEM Chengdu 2025 will be a crucial title to grab. Prize money and the S-tier title aside, the winner will go into the Major with added wind behind their sail. Especially for teams like MOUZ, Team Falcons and The MongolZ, winning the tournament that also features Vitality and Spirit is a huge confidence boost.
Now coming to the topic of who wins, the three frontrunners will be Team Vitality, FURIA and MOUZ, in that order. Despite losing to MOUZ in the Group stage, Team Vitality still stands as the best CS teams, especially if the individuals start clicking, it’s always hard to stop them.
FURIA is another strong contender that looks unstoppable. With two big titles in two months, they have momentum in their favor. The win will also further solidify their claim at the upcoming Budapest Major.
Lastly, MOUZ, who have been the most consistent team in 2025, who have always faltered when it mattered most. They still sit as a top contender, and even when they take down the strongest team in a tournament, they do not close out the final game. The MongolZ and Falcons do have a good shot of making it to the finals, but it’s hard to make a case for them over FURIA. But it won’t be a surprise if either of the three make it to the finals.
Where to Watch
The Playoffs will kickoff the day after, November 7.
Watch the tournament live on YouTube | Twitch | ESL Website for all the answers.
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Featured Image Credit: ESL
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