In the quarterfinals of IEM Katowice 2025, Virtus.pro and Spirit will face off. VP reached the playoffs through the upper bracket but are forced to play with a substitute, while Spirit entered the playoffs through the lower bracket after a loss to NAVI. Both teams are showing strong performances in recent matches, but can VP compensate for the loss of FL4MUS and overcome Spirit? In this article, we will analyze the current form of the competitors, the potential map pool, and make a match prediction.

Current Team Form

Virtus.pro

The average rating of Virtus.pro in events over the past month is 6.1. However, due to FL4MUS's visa expiration, the team will have to play with a substitute in the form of mir, whose last match on the pro scene was on April 12, 2024, at IEM Chengdu.

Virtus.pro previously participated in the Perfect World Shanghai Major Opening Stage but were eliminated with a score of 1-3. The team also failed to reach the playoffs of the BLAST Bounty Spring 2025: Closed Qualifier. At IEM Katowice 2025: Play-in, VP lost their first match but then progressed to the main tournament through the lower bracket. They advanced from the group stage through the upper bracket, losing only to Vitality in the seeding match.

In the last five matches, VP secured four wins — against Eternal Fire, G2, MIBR and SAW, losing only to Vitality. However, the absence of FL4MUS may impact their team play.

Spirit

The average rating of Spirit in events over the past month is 6.5. Spirit recently won the Perfect World Shanghai Major, and then became champions of the BLAST Bounty Spring 2025, losing only one map over five matches. In IEM Katowice 2025, they advanced to the playoffs through the lower bracket after a defeat to NAVI.

Spirit also won four out of their last five matches — against GamerLegion, Liquid, Astralis and Eternal Fire. Their only loss was to NAVI.

Team Map Pool

Both teams have clear priorities in map picks and bans, allowing for a possible map pool forecast.

Virtus.pro will likely ban Nuke, as it's their most frequent ban (30 times), while Spirit will remove Inferno (42 times). In terms of map picks, VP may prefer Mirage (67% win rate) or Dust II (53% win rate), considering the opponent's weaknesses. Spirit, on the other hand, are likely to choose Dust II (80% win rate) or Ancient (65% win rate), as Nuke will be banned.

In the second round of bans, VP will probably remove Ancient if Spirit hasn't picked it, and Spirit will ban Mirage, given VP's high win rate (67%) on it. As a result, the deciding map is likely to be Ancient or Overpass.

Match Prediction

Based on the current form of the teams, Spirit appears more stable: they have won the last two major tournaments and are displaying a high level of play. Although Virtus.pro advanced to the IEM Katowice 2025 playoffs through the upper bracket, they face the issue of a player substitution. The absence of FL4MUS could affect VP's synergy and tactical flexibility, especially on maps like Mirage and Dust II.

The map pool also favors Spirit. Dust II is their strong map (80% win rate), and if it ends up in the pool, VP will have serious problems. Additionally, Spirit feels confident on Nuke and Ancient, and VP may lose confidence without their key player.

Prediction: Spirit wins 2:0

IEM Katowice 2025 takes 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 schedule and results of the event here.