IEM Chengdu 2024 Playoffs Preview and Predictions

As the dust settles on the thrilling group stage of IEM Chengdu 2024, anticipation mounts for the forthcoming playoffs where the stakes are higher and the competition fiercer than ever.

With teams vying for supremacy and fans eagerly awaiting the outcome, the stage is set for electrifying matches and unexpected upsets.

Join us as we delve into the playoffs preview and offer our predictions for what promises to be an exhilarating continuation of the IEM Chengdu saga.

Group Stage Recap

Group A

MOUZ and Team Liquid led the way in Group A. Liquid had a hard road to the playoffs, facing off against Heroic and G2. MOUZ had to take on TYLOO and Furia. Making it to the Upper Bracket Finals, MOUZ managed to beat Team Liquid 2-0 to clinch the Semi Final spot.

G2 managed to redeem themselves. They had an unbeaten run in the Lower Bracket. Without dropping a single map against Lynn Vision and Heroic, G2 secured the final spot in the playoffs from Group A.

Group B

Astralis surprised everyone as they secured their spot in the playoffs in quite the dominant fashion. Managing to beat out titans like FaZe Clan and Virtus.pro without dropping a single map, Astralis sit cozily in their Semi Final spot, followed closely by Virtus.pro.

Being relegated to the Lower Bracket was just a minor setback for FaZe Clan. They pulled off clean 2-0s against Cloud9 and FlyQuest to secure the final spot in the playoffs.

The Playoffs:

The playoffs of IEM Chengdu feature a single-elimination bracket format. Each match in the playoffs will be a best-of-three series.

The top two teams from the Group Stage have already secured their spots in the Semi Finals. Meanwhile, in the quarter finals, we have the following matchups:

Virtus.Pro vs G2 Esports

(April 12th | 9 am CET | 12 am PDT)

Even though they had a minor setback in the Group Stage, G2 have made a resurgence. With Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov and Nikola "NiKo" Kovač showing off very good form, and with Nemanja "nexa" Isaković pulling off high impact rounds, G2 are set for success.

However, Virtus.pro are no slouches either. With their slow and methodical playstyle, paired with the high fragging potential of Evgeniy "FL1T" Lebedev and David "n0rb3r7" Daniyelyan, Virtus.pro will definitely be a threat. And they will be firing on all cylinders to get their revenge from the Major the last time these two teams met.

However, with the current run of form both teams have shown, G2 Esports are our pick to win this matchup.

The winner of this matchup will face MOUZ in the Semifinals.

Team Liquid vs FaZe Clan

(April 12th | 12:45 pm CET | 3:15 am PDT)

Although Team Liquid were in quite a predicament with all the roster changes, they have emerged as a very strong contender. Coming into Chengdu, Russel "Twistzz" Van Dulken and Keith "NAF" Markovic have been showing great performances. However, the same can’t be said for Mareks "YEKINDAR" Gaļinskis. Team Liquid will need all their members to show up to clinch this matchup.

Being Major Finalists, and with the absence of NaVi, FaZe Clan came into this tournament as clear favorites. And this has been evident in the way that they play. All the members are in peak form, but among them, David "frozen" Čerňanský manages to outshine the rest. Even though they faced a minor setback against Astralis, this did not stop them from making it to the playoffs.

FaZe Clan are the favorites going into this matchup, and they are our pick as well.

The winner of this matchup will face Astralis in the Semifinals.

Where to Watch:

You can watch the playoffs live on the official ESL Twitch and YouTube Channels, and also on Faceit.

Follow the official Intel Extreme Masters page on X (formerly Twitter) for all the latest updates.

You can also follow along with the action on the Strafe Android and iOS apps, as well as the Strafe site.

Featured Image Source: ESL

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