The match at IEM Katowice 2025 Play-In will feature two promising teams - paiN Gaming and GamerLegion. The game promises to be intense, as it is a match for reaching the next stage of the tournament, where any mistake can be costly. The match will be held in the Best of 3 format, which gives teams a chance to prove themselves on different maps.

Current form of the teams

paiN Gaming is showing a stable form, having won 3 out of the last 4 matches, including a 2-0 victory over Virtus.pro and GamerLegion (2-1) in the previous games. The team effectively adapts to opponents and uses its strengths well. At recent tournaments such as BLAST Bounty Spring 2025 and Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024, they proved that they can surprise.

GamerLegion, on the other hand, is experiencing a decline, most likely due to changes in the team. Their recent results include defeats against paiN and NAVI, although they beat SAW in the first match of the IEM Katowice 2025 Play-In. Perhaps the team needs more time to find their game and synergy.

Map Pool

paiN Gaming

The team shows impressive statistics on Nuke, with 70% wins in the last 30 games. This map is their main weapon, where they effectively control both offense and defense with well-designed strategies. Mirage is also one of the strongest paiN decks with 64% of wins. Their balance between the roles on this map and their ability to adapt to the opponent ensure stability.

However, paiN Gaming has significant problems on Dust II (58% of wins) , where they often lose control over the pace of the game. paiN also traditionally avoids Ancient, where their statistics are practically absent.

GamerLegion

GamerLegion's strengths lie in playing Inferno (56% of wins) and Mirage (57%). They skillfully use their mechanical skills to win clutches and dominate duels. Inferno is one of the team's favorite maps, where they often win thanks to their aggressive offense.

On the other hand, GamerLegion's weak points are Dust II (44% of wins) and Nuke (39%). On these maps, they lack coordination between players, which leads to vulnerabilities, especially in defense. 

The expected set of maps in Bo3: Anubis, Mirage, Nuke

Face-to-face meetings

Over the past six months, the teams have met twice, and each has won one victory. These confrontations have always been intense and lasted all three maps, which indicates the equality of their strength. This adds intrigue to the upcoming match, where both teams will strive to prove their superiority.

Match Prediction

The first map is expected to be paiN's choice, probably Ancient, where they have a significant advantage. GamerLegion, in turn, may choose Inferno or Mirage. The third map, if necessary, will most likely be Nuke, where both teams have decent stats.

Given paiN Gaming's current form and their advantage on strong maps, they are the favorites in this matchup.

Prediction: 2:1 in favor of paiN.

paiN Gaming has repeatedly demonstrated their strength in the international arena, winning key matches at BLAST Bounty Spring 2025, which confirms their readiness for difficult confrontations. In turn, GamerLegion has proven to be an experienced team that regularly competes with leading teams at prestigious tournaments such as Perfect World Major 2024.

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.