All the best CS2 esports teams in the world gather in Chengdu, China, to battle in the last big offline tournament before the Budapest Major. The groups division promises exciting matchups super early.
The Intel Extreme Masters event in Chengdu (IEM Chengdu 2025) starts with the Group Stage from Nov. 3 to Nov. 5. The participants are battling through the double elimination brackets for six Playoffs spots.
The initial tournament stage mixes top and mid-level teams. We can expect some spectacular upsets and early clashes of the biggest favorites.
How to watch CS2 IEM Chengdu 2025 Groups: Stream
Tournament schedule at Intel Extreme Masters Chengdu 2025
Each day at the IEM Chengdu 2025 Group Stage has quite a few CS2 matches. In the table below, you’ll find the current schedule for Nov. 4.
Estimate start time | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3 a.m. CET / 9 p.m. ET, Nov. 3 | FURIA 2:0 G2 Esports 13:5 on Train 16:14 on Overpass | Lynn Vision Gaming 2:1 3DMAX 16:13 on Dust II 7:13 on Inferno 13:10 on Train |
| 5:30 a.m. CET / 11:30 p.m. ET, Nov. 3 | MOUZ 1:1 Vitality 13:3 on Train 8:13 on Nuke Inferno | FaZe 1:2 Virtus.pro 13:8 on Overpass 5:13 on Mirage 7:13 on Inferno |
| 8 a.m. CET / 2 a.m. ET | The MongolZ vs Astralis | HEROIC 0:1 NAVI 8:13 on Nuke Ancient Inferno |
| 10:30 a.m. CET / 4:30 a.m. ET | Falcons vs Spirit | TYLOO vs paiN Gaming |
Broadcast talent
All the people who bring excitement and analytics to the IEM Chengdu 2025 stream are highlighted in the image below.
Group Stage matchups and results
The full list of the IEM Chengdu 2025 participants has 16 teams. They are divided into two groups to battle in double-elimination brackets. The top 3 teams from each group advance to the Playoffs. The group winners secure spots in the semifinals. Second and third placements head to the quarterfinals.
Group A
- Round 1: An upset happened in the first round of Group A matches. With two overtimes, Astralis defeated NAVI: They took Nuke with a 16:13 and Inferno with a 16:12. Falcons destroyed their opponents, making it 3:13 on Map 2, Ancient. The MongolZ looked solid in their match against HEROIC.
Group B
- Round 1: Somewhat surprisingly, Team Vitality lost Map 1, Overpass, to Virtus.pro, but they recovered decently and delivered a 13:4 on Map 3, Mirage. FURIA dominated their match, having the biggest score gap in this round — a 13:2 on Overpass. MOUZ and G2 enjoyed their expected victories.
Upset possibilities and big rivalries in CS2 esports
The Group Stage matchups at Intel Extreme Masters Chengdu 2025 have clear trends.
- Starting matches are between the top-seeded teams and underdogs.
- The following group semifinals will most likely be filled with huge battles between some of the strongest teams in CS2 esports.
Underdog power
While the potential for upsets remains unpredictable, several intriguing possibilities stand out — extending beyond the opening round.
- paiN Gaming: These players have a limited presence at big tournaments, and when they do play, paiN players make waves. The team reached the top 4 at the Austin Major. As for the most recent result, paiN Gaming were in the top 8 at PGL Masters Bucharest 2025.
- Astralis: In Round 1, the unstable performance of Astralis faced the same shakiness of NAVI. Natus Vincere fell victim to a reverse sweep from FURIA at Thunderpick World Championship 2025.
- 3DMAX: Their upset potential is also built upon the instability of the top opponents, G2 Esports. 3DMAX reached the top 8 at EPL Season 22, and they defeated G2 in the advancement match.
- FaZe Clan: Yes, it’s true. FaZe are generally considered underdogs now. They play against MOUZ in the first match. The hope for an upset comes from the EPL S22 victory of FaZe over Team Spirit. Also, it’s really happening: Jakub "jcobbb" Pietruszewski replaced Håvard "rain" Nygaard in FaZe’s roster.
Clashes of the favorites
Some potential matches at the Group Stage at IEM Chengdu 2025 can certainly be repeated in the Playoffs.
- Vitality and MOUZ can play in the group semifinal. It’s a long rivalry, with a record in favor of Vitality. After winning ESL Pro League Season 22, Team Vitality can bring their tournament-winning streak to the fray.
- Falcons were surprisingly good at EPL S22. They can face Spirit in the group semifinal, which is an exciting matchup considering the record of both teams.
- FURIA are among the tournament favorites as well. They won two relatively big tournaments recently: Thunderpick World Championship 2025 and FISSURE Playground #2.
The MongolZ enter IEM Chengdu 2025 with a replacement: Unudelger "controlez" Baasanjargal instead of benched Azbayar "Senzu" Munkhbold. The team has been experiencing a drop with their results recently, so it’s interesting to see if this move can help.
The Playoffs at Intel Extreme Masters Chengdu 2025 go on from Nov. 6 to Nov. 9.
