IEM Katowice 2025 Play-In is preparing a historic event for CS2 fans: for the first time in LAN format, a female team will compete against a male team. Imperial FE will face FURIA in Bo3 format, and this match promises to be not only interesting but also significant for the development of esports.

Current Team Form

Imperial FE finished 2024 with strong results, becoming the champions of Tradeit League FE Masters #6 and ESL Impact League 6. At the BLAST Bounty Spring 2025, they were eliminated in the first round by NAVI, but showed a decent game there. However, due to visa issues, for the match against FURIA, instead of the main player tory, the coach bubble will play, which can significantly affect the team interaction and adaptation to the male style of play.

FURIA, on the other hand, have a stable form and experience at the highest level. Finishing 2024 with participation in the Perfect World Shanghai Major, the team demonstrated competitiveness against strong opponents, but partially lost due to a lack of stability. Their performance at the BLAST Bounty Spring 2025 was also mixed, but the experience of the players at the highest level gives FURIA an advantage.

Map Pool

Imperial FE have a strong record on Mirage, with 82% of wins in 11 games, which demonstrates their confidence in tactical play. Their results on Inferno look even more impressive, with 89% of wins in 9 games. At the same time, they have rather modest results on Dust II(50% in 6 games), which may be a weakness in the map. On Nuke, the team looks stable with 80% wins in 5 games, making it an important choice in Bo3.

FURIA, on the other hand, demonstrate versatility in their mappings. Nuke is their strongest map with 69% wins in 16 matches, and Inferno also brings them stability with 69% wins in 13 matches. Dust II looks decent with 65% of wins in 17 matches, and the team shows average results on Anubis - 50% in 16 games.

The expected set of maps in Bo3: Inferno, Nuke, Dust II.

Match Prediction

FURIA look like clear favorites in this match due to their experience and deep mappool. The participation of the bubble coach instead of tory may negatively affect the dynamics of Imperial FE's game. Although the historical moment adds intrigue, Imperial FE's chances of winning remain minimal.

Prediction: Furia wins with a score of 2-0.

This match will set a precedent in the world of esports, as it will be the first time a female team will compete against a male team in a LAN format at such a prestigious tournament. This development opens up new horizons for the integration of female teams into the world of esports. 

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.