At IEM Cologne 2025 Stage 1, FaZe Clan secured a confident victory over BIG in a two-map series, securing their place in the upper bracket qualifying match. The return of Helvijs “broky” Saukants was a key moment for the team, which showed new energy and cohesion. BIG, on the other hand, found themselves in the lower bracket, where they will have to fight for further advancement.

Key moments of the game

On Inferno, BIG tried to resist, winning both pistol rounds, and Karim “Krimbo” Moussa delivered an outstanding performance with eight multikills and clutches, including a 2v4 clutch. However, FaZe, led by Håvard “rain” Nygaard, quickly took the initiative, finishing the first half with a score of 10-2. David “frozen” Čerňanský finished the job with two clutches, including a 1v3, to secure a comfortable victory.

The return of broky

On Ancient, broky, who returned after a two-year hiatus, was FaZe's best player. His absence from IEM Dallas and BLAST.tv Austin Major, where he was replaced by Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev, only highlighted his importance to the team. Now FaZe is showing more cohesive play, and broky is happy to be back in competition.

MVP -  David “frozen” Čerňanský, rating 7.3  

Next steps

FaZe will wait for the winner of the Liquid vs. paiN match for a place in Stage 2, while BIG will have to fight against the loser of the same pair. This result adds intrigue to the upcoming matches.

FaZe is showing new energy, and broky's return has been a key moment. Fans are enthusiastically discussing their chances, and the community is waiting to see how Finn “karrigan” Andersen's team will cope with the next challenges.

IEM Cologne 2025 is taking place from July 23 to August 3 in Germany. The tournament's prize pool is $1,000,000. You can follow all the news, schedule, and results via this link.