BIG and Imperial FE will meet in the survival match at IEM Katowice 2025 Play-In. Both teams found themselves in the bottom of the bracket after unsuccessful starts in the tournament, and now every card will be decisive. Will Imperial FE be able to create a sensation against the BIG men's team, or will the German team's experience play a key role in their victory?

Current form of the teams

BIG has been showing inconsistent results lately, with only one win in their last three matches. Their performance at BLAST Bounty Spring 2025 ended with defeats against G2 and a loss to the already Wildcard at IEM Katowice 2025: Play-in, which emphasizes their lack of confidence in the game. Nevertheless, the team has great potential thanks to experienced players and the ability to adapt to opponents.

Imperial FE was placed in the bottom bracket after losing to FURIA at the start of the tournament. Although the team won the Tradeit League FE Masters #6, their experience against men's teams is limited, making this match a serious challenge. The situation is complicated by a substitution: due to visa issues, player tory is replaced by coach bubble, which is the first time in history that a women's team has played in such a lineup at a men's LAN tournament. This adds intrigue and uniqueness to the match, but also calls into question the stability of Imperial FE's game.

Map Pool

Imperial FE shows impressive results on Inferno (89%), where their structured playstyle brings consistent wins. Their performance on Ancient (67%) and Mirage (75%) are also stands out as a strength. At the same time, the team avoids maps such as Anubis(0%) and Dust2 (43%), which indicates their weakness in these arenas.

BIG, on the other hand, feel confident on Nuke (60%) and Ancient (68%), using their experience to effectively control these maps. However, their difficulties on Mirage(32%) and Inferno (25%) open up opportunities for Imperial FE. In addition, BIG's erratic results on Anubis (40%) make this map potentially unpredictable.

The expected set of cards in this Bo3 match: Mirage, Nuke, Ancient.

Match Prediction

Imperial FE is under a lot of pressure, as their performance against the men's teams is a historic moment. Despite their strong play on Inferno and Ancient, it will be difficult for them to counter BIG's experience on Nuke. At the same time, BIG can't afford to underestimate their opponent, especially considering their weak results on some maps.

Prediction: BIG will win with a score of 2-1.

The match will be historic, as Imperial FE is the first women's team to compete against men at IEM Katowice 2025. For BIG, this match is an opportunity to prove their strength after a series of failures. The tournament grid leaves no room for mistakes: the winner will continue to fight for a place in the group stage, and the loser will finish their way in the tournament.

IEM Katowice 2025 will take place from January 29 to February 9 in Katowice, Poland. Twenty-four teams will compete for a prize pool of $1 million. You can follow the event's schedule and results through this link.