In the first round of the IEM Katowice 2025, we are set to witness an intriguing match-up between Vitality and 3DMAX. Both teams approach the tournament with different results and ambitions, adding intrigue to their encounter. In this article, we will analyze the current form of the teams, their map pool, and provide a prediction for the upcoming match.

Current Team Form

The average rating of Vitality over the last month is 5.6. At the BLAST Bounty Spring 2025: Closed Qualifier, the team confidently won their first matches, defeating Metizport and Virtus.Pro with a score of 2-0. However, at the LAN part of the tournament, they lost to Eternal Fire 0-2, which deprived them of the chance to progress further.

The average rating of 3DMAX over the last month is 6.4. Their performance at the BLAST Bounty Spring 2025: Closed Qualifier was unsuccessful, as the team lost their first match 1-2. However, in the IEM Katowice 2025 Play-In stage, 3DMAX showed their strength, defeating FlyQuest and MIBR with a clean 2-0 score. 

Map Pool 

Vitality is likely to ban Ancient, which they haven't played for 29 matches and where their win rate is 0%. Anubis may also be banned, where the team's win rate is only 36% over 11 games. The most likely choices are Nuke, where they have the best win rate of 92% over 12 games, or Dust2 (77% over 13 games). Mirage (65% over 17 games) also remains a comfortable map for Vitality.

3DMAX will likely ban Mirage, which they haven't played for 41 matches and where their win rate is 0%. Ancient may also be banned, where they have one of the lowest win rates at 36% over 33 games. The most probable choices are Inferno (81% win rate over 21 games) and Dust2 (76% over 17 games), which are their strong maps.

1. Nuke — Vitality's choice
2. Inferno — 3DMAX's choice
3. Dust2 — decider

Match Prediction

Vitality appears to be the clear favorites for this match. Their strong map pool and experience in major tournaments give them an advantage. However, the element of surprise from 3DMAX, who show strong gameplay on their maps like Inferno and Dust2, cannot be ruled out. Nonetheless, the difference in class and experience of Vitality should play a decisive role. Even if 3DMAX can put up a fight, it is unlikely to be enough for a victory.

Vitality 2:1 3DMAX

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.