IEM Melbourne 2025 Grand Finals Preview: Team Vitality vs Team Falcons

26 Apr

Thales Costa

The stage is set for an electrifying conclusion to IEM Melbourne 2025 as Team Vitality and Team Falcons prepare to battle in the Grand Finals. After impressive runs through the tournament, these two powerhouses will face off in what promises to be a thrilling Best-of-5 (Bo5) series scheduled for Sunday, April 27, at 8:00 AM CET.

Path to the Finals

Team Vitality has been nothing short of dominant throughout the tournament, advancing to the finals without dropping a single series. Their flawless run included victories over FlyQuest, Team Liquid, and a commanding 2-0 semifinal win against The MongolZ, where they demonstrated their overwhelming firepower with back-to-back 13-3 scorelines.

Falcons, meanwhile, have shown tremendous resilience and skill on their journey to the finals. After their triumph at PGL Bucharest 2025, they've maintained excellent form in Melbourne, defeating SAW, NAVI, GamerLegion, and most recently MOUZ in the semifinals with a convincing 2-0 victory (13-3 on Dust2 and 13-6 on Nuke).

Map Veto Preview

The map veto will play a key role in the Grand Finals. In their last meeting, Vitality and Falcons played Mirage and Inferno, with Vitality winning both maps (16-13, 13-8).

Vitality tends to avoid Ancient, while Falcons often ban Anubis. Expect Vitality to pick Inferno or Mirage again, where they have shown strength, while Falcons may lean toward Dust2 or Mirage, hoping to capitalize on their own comfort picks.

If the series goes the distance, maps like Nuke or Train could appear as deciders, testing both teams’ depth. With both squads showing flexibility, the veto will be a chess match that could decide the champion.

Key Players to Watch

These two titans have already clashed once in this tournament during the group stage, where Vitality emerged victorious with a 2-0 scoreline. However, both maps were closely contested affairs that could have gone either way, suggesting that the finals might be more competitive than that result indicates.

The Grand Finals will feature a mouth-watering duel between two of CS2's premier AWPers: ZywOo and m0NESY. ZywOo continues to be the centerpiece of Vitality's success, consistently delivering stellar performances with remarkable efficiency. His impact on the server often dictates Vitality's fortunes.

For Falcons, the recently re-united partnership between NiKo and m0NESY has quickly once again become one of the most dangerous duos in competitive CS2. Their synergy, reminiscent of their time together on G2, has elevated Falcons to championship contender status. NiKo's exceptional rifling combined with m0NESY's AWP prowess gives Falcons a formidable one-two punch that can challenge even Vitality's defensive setups.

What's at Stake

For Vitality, a victory would not only secure the IEM Melbourne 2025 championship but also complete the prestigious ESL Grand Slam, cementing their status as the dominant force in CS2. Their current form suggests they're the favorites, but championship finals often produce unexpected results.

Falcons, meanwhile, are seeking back-to-back major tournament victories following their PGL Bucharest 2025 triumph. A win would validate their roster moves and establish them as serious contenders for the title of world's best team.

Prediction

While Vitality enters as the favorite based on their current form and previous encounter with Falcons, the Bo5 format provides ample opportunity for Falcons to showcase their map pool depth. Expect a highly competitive series that could easily go the distance, with map picks and individual performances from star players ultimately determining the champion.

The IEM Melbourne 2025 Grand Finals promises to deliver world-class Counter-Strike action and a fitting conclusion to this prestigious $300,000 tournament.

Featured image credits: Adam Lakomy

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