IEM Dallas 2025 will take place from May 19 to May 25, starting just one day after PGL Astana 2025 ends. The event features 16 teams from around the world. They will compete for a $1,000,000 prize pool — $300,000 for players and $700,000 for teams. It’s one of the last big tournaments before the summer break. Teams will try to finish the first half of the season strong. With top teams like Vitality, MOUZ, and Falcons, fans can expect close matches and big moments.
Format
Group Stage: May 19–22, 2025
- Two GSL-style double elimination groups (Group A and Group B)
- Each group has 8 teams
- All matches are best-of-three (Bo3)
- Top 3 teams from each group go to playoffs:
- Group winners go straight to the semifinals
- Runners-up go to quarterfinals as high seeds
- 3rd-place teams go to quarterfinals as low seeds
Playoffs: May 23–25, 2025
- Single elimination bracket
- Quarterfinals and semifinals – Bo3
- Grand final – Bo5
Group A – Vitality on top
Opening Matches:
Odds are provided by Stake and are up to date at the time of publication.
Vitality are the main favorites here. They’ve been winning almost everything and should easily top this group. Most teams in Group A have problems. Legacy looked decent at some events in 2025 but didn’t qualify for the Major. 3DMAX haven’t played in weeks. GamerLegion will play with a stand-in — Frederik "acoR" Gyldstrand returns because Henrich "sl3nd" Hevesi had visa issues. This might be an upgrade, since sl3nd hasn’t been playing well all year, but it’s hard to say if it’ll help the team make playoffs.
The MongolZ also missed out on Astana but had more time to prepare than teams like FURIA, who played all the way to the semifinals in Kazakhstan. FURIA now has little rest before flying to Dallas. They looked good with their new English-speaking lineup, but travel and fatigue could be a problem.
G2 is also a big question mark. They used a coach instead of Nemanja "huNter-" Kovač in Astana, so this will be the first time we see their new lineup with Aleksander "hades" Miśkiewicz in action. Vitality are expected to win the group. G2, 3DMAX, and maybe GamerLegion could fight for the other playoff spots.
Group B – very competitive
Opening Matches:
Odds are provided by Stake and are up to date at the time of publication.
Group B looks much tougher. MOUZ and Falcons are the main favorites here. Falcons have reached three finals this year and only lost to Vitality. MOUZ haven’t been as strong lately, but they’re still a top team and should be fighting for a semifinal spot.
Liquid is a team to watch. They reached the playoffs at their last event and have improved a lot since Kamil "siuhy" Szkaradek joined as in-game leader. They play more structured now and will have home crowd support in Dallas. In the opening match, they face FaZe — now with Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev. No one knows yet how well FaZe will do. There are questions about preparation time, and Håvard "rain" Nygaard’s status is still unclear. This makes FaZe exciting but unpredictable.
HEROIC is another team to watch. They recently won CCT Global Finals and MESA Nomadic Spring. They seem to be in great form before the Major. This tournament is a big test for them against top teams. If they play like they did in recent events, they could surprise everyone and make a deep run.
At the bottom of the group, we have BC.Game and NRG. BC.Game will use a stand-in — possibly their coach — because Ilya "Perfecto" Zalutskiy seems not to get a visa yet. That puts them in a bad position. NRG is strong in North America and did okay at ESL Pro League, but this group is stacked. It’s hard to see them making it through.
Conclusion
IEM Dallas 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most interesting tournaments of the year. With some teams coming straight from PGL Astana and others looking to bounce back, we’ll see a mix of tired rosters and fresh starts. Vitality will try to continue their dominance, Falcons want another shot at a title, and teams like Liquid and HEROIC hope to surprise everyone. Whether you're cheering for the favorites or hoping for an underdog story, this event is packed with stories worth watching. Let the action begin in Dallas!
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