IEM Katowice 2025 Play-in has already brought the first sensations and fierce clashes. Four opening matches determined the teams that are a step away from reaching the playoffs, as well as those who are close to being eliminated. The tournament, which takes place from January 29 to February 9 in Katowice, Poland, promises to be one of the brightest events of the esports season.

IEM Katowice traditionally gathers the best players in the world, and the first day confirmed that the competition will be intense. Eight teams competed in the first matches, and it is already possible to highlight those who showed confident play and those who will need to fight hard for their place in the tournament.

paiN vs Virtus.pro

The game day opened with paiN and Virtus.pro. The Brazilians from paiN confidently defeated their opponents 2-0 (13-8 on Mirage, 13-2 on Dust II). The first map, despite Virtus.pro starting on the strong side, ended in success for paiN with excellent defense and a series of five consecutive rounds after the side switch. On Dust II, Virtus.pro couldn't find their game, taking only two rounds, leading to a crushing defeat.

3DMAX vs FlyQuest

In the second match, 3DMAX easily dealt with FlyQuest, also winning 2-0 (Train 13-5, Inferno 13-7). On Train, the French team dominated, closing the first half 10-2. After the switch, FlyQuest tried to get back into the game, but 3DMAX didn't allow them to succeed. The situation on Inferno was similar: 3DMAX took the first half 8-4 and moved to victory without any problems.

Astralis vs MIBR

A real battle unfolded between Astralis and MIBR. The Brazilians proved stronger, winning 2-0 (Mirage 16-12, Ancient 13-11). Astralis started well on Mirage, but MIBR managed to catch up and then snatched victory in overtime. The situation repeated on Ancient: Astralis led 11-9, but MIBR rallied and took four consecutive rounds, ending the match in their favor.

The match between Astralis and MIBR was not only intense but also prolonged due to technical issues. A total of 44 minutes were spent on pauses on the first map, with the longest one lasting more than 12 minutes. These pauses threw the teams off rhythm, but MIBR adapted better to the situation and maintained focus until the end of the game.

SAW vs GamerLegion

In the last match of the day, SAW fell to GamerLegion with a score of 0-2 (Nuke 13-11, Inferno 13-9). SAW led on Nuke after the first half, but GamerLegion showed excellent play on the T-side and finished the map in their favor. On Inferno, SAW dominated the first half, but GamerLegion, trailing 3-9, took 10 consecutive rounds to claim victory.

Today, we are in for four more matches. Eight teams will battle for a place in the playoffs, while the losers will fight for the last chance to stay in the tournament. There's still a lot of exciting matches ahead, and you can follow the progress of IEM Katowice 2025 via the link.