IEM Chengdu Playoffs Lineup Locked In

With the Group Stage wrapped up, the eight teams advancing to the IEM Chengdu Playoffs have been finalized, setting the stage for high stakes action.

The postseason bracket kicks off on Friday, November 7, promising intense Counter-Strike showdowns in Chengdu, China.

Playoff Qualifiers and Seeding

Here’s the breakdown of the six squads making the cut, along with their starting positions:

• Team Falcons (Direct entry into Semifinals)
• MOUZ (Direct entry into Semifinals)
• FURIA (Quarterfinal matchup vs. The MongolZ)
• The MongolZ (Quarterfinal matchup vs. FURIA)
• Astralis (Quarterfinal matchup vs. Team Vitality)
• Team Vitality (Quarterfinal matchup vs. Astralis)

In the Semifinals, Team Falcons will face the victor from the FURIA-The MongolZ clash, while MOUZ awaits the winner of Astralis vs. Team Vitality. Notably, a Vitality win over Astralis would grant them a shot at redemption against MOUZ, after suffering a 2-1 defeat in the Group Stage’s Upper Bracket Semifinals.

Teams Bounced from the Group Stage

Ten squads fell short of the playoffs, bowing out across various stages of the Group Stage elimination rounds:

• NAVI (Ousted in Lower Bracket Quarterfinals, Group A)
• TYLOO (Ousted in Lower Bracket Quarterfinals, Group A)
• 3DMAX (Ousted in Lower Bracket Quarterfinals, Group B)
• FaZe Clan (Ousted in Lower Bracket Quarterfinals, Group B)
• HEROIC (Ousted in Lower Bracket Semifinals, Group A)
• paiN Gaming (Ousted in Lower Bracket Semifinals, Group A)
• Lynn Vision Gaming (Ousted in Lower Bracket Semifinals, Group B)
• Virtus.pro (Ousted in Lower Bracket Semifinals, Group B)
• Team Spirit (Ousted in Lower Bracket Final, Group A)
• G2 Esports (Ousted in Lower Bracket Final, Group B)

FaZe Clan and NAVI endured particularly rough endings, with their premature stumbles raising red flags for their form heading into the Budapest Major. G2’s campaign took a dramatic turn when in game leader Nemanja “huNter” Kovac had to sit out their decisive qualifier against Team Vitality due to health issues. Stand in coach Eetu “sAw” Saha stepped up, but Vitality cruised to a 2-0 victory.

Team Spirit’s shocking exit at the hands of The MongolZ in the Group Stage Lower Bracket Final stung especially hard. Fresh off their IEM Cologne 2025 triumph earlier this year, Spirit showed flashes like an overtime thriller on Ancient in Map 2, but couldn’t recapture their signature reliability.

Conversely, The MongolZ have emerged as a playoff dark horse, delighting spectators with their grit. They entered the event without star Azbayar “Senzu” Munkhbold, who was sidelined, handing the reins to newcomer Unudelger “Controlez” Baasanjargal. Doubters questioned the quick adaptation, but the Mongolian squad has silenced critics, showcasing Controlez’s seamless integration and poise under pressure.

The MongolZ claim the final playoffs spot in Chengdu ✅

— HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) November 5, 2025

Playoffs Structure and Timeline

The playoff frenzy ignites on November 7 with the Quarterfinals: FURIA squares off against The MongolZ, and Astralis tackles Team Vitality.

Semifinals heat up on November 8, pitting Team Falcons against the FURIA-MongolZ winner, and MOUZ against the Astralis-Vitality survivor.

The stakes peak on November 9, where the Semifinal victors clash in a best of five Grand Final for the title. Before that, the Semifinal losers duke it out in a best of three Third Place Match to cap the day.