5 key points to watch at IEM Dallas 2025
What can we expect to witness at IEM Dallas 2025 this year?
At IEM Dallas 2025, there are many significant instances we’re eagerly anticipating. This tournament serves as the last stop before the BLAST Austin Major, giving us our last opportunity to evaluate every team before the grand event unfolds.
Here’s the most important storylines we can expect to see resolved at IEM Dallas 2025.
The return of s1mple: Can he save FaZe?
As a devoted fan, I’m thrilled to witness Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev make his comeback to competitive play, following a five-month break initiated by his unsuccessful bid to qualify for the Shanghai Major held in 2024.
It’s widely recognized that the Ukrainian star has immense potential, but he finds himself facing a tough challenge with FaZe Clan, who have experienced a significant decline in 2025. In a recent vlog, team captain Finn “Karrigan” Andersen was blunt about his feelings towards the team’s performance and their apparent struggles to identify where they were going wrong.
Changing a team’s roster a month before a major tournament is typically a significant risk, but considering FaZe Clan’s position at the time, one can understand why they decided to take that chance. Dallas becomes a crucial testing ground for s1mple and FaZe Clan, and their performance there will give us insights into how far they might progress in Austin.
Vitality set up to extend streak, begin new Grand Slam run
Vitality, an unstoppable force, keeps thriving and ruling CS2 professionally in 2025. They’ve amassed five trophies and have won 25 consecutive matches, making their victory at BLAST Spring as stunning as their Melbourne Grand Slam win. What makes it even more impressive is that they emerged victorious after a flight from Australia without any preparation time.
Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut might have already secured the player of the year award, and the acquisition of Robin “ropz” Kool could be considered as one of the most significant roster moves in recent times. At this point, there seems to be little left for Team Vitality to achieve other than winning the Austin Major tournament.
However, several analysts have begun contemplating possibilities beyond the current major tournament. Could there be a double Grand Slam in a single year? It seems impossible, yet this exceptional Vitality team might just pull it off.
Commencing their pursuit of a second Grand Slam title in Dallas, they must triumph initially at this venue, followed by successes at IEM Cologne, ESL Pro League Season 22, and ultimately at IEM Chengdu if they wish to fulfill their dream.
Reckon they’d have earned an “era” then? Yeah.
Will Aurora’s time off help in Dallas?
Aurora’s 2025 performances have been marked by frequent group stage successes, even against top-tier opponents, but it has often ended prematurely in the playoffs.
Following their defeat in the grand final of BLAST Bounty Spring against Spirit, Aurora (formerly known as Eternal Fire) struggled significantly during almost every first round of playoffs. While their consecutive qualification for six playoffs is commendable, there are growing worries about stage fright and player health issues, given the intense start to the season. Some spectators believe that Aurora may have reached its peak.
Aurora will have had a month-long break during April and May that should rejuvenate their energy stores, making them ready for competition in the U.S. Although there may be some initial rust at PGL Astana, there is much anticipation that the Turkish team will perform optimally in Dallas and Austin.
Where their ceiling lies at these events is entirely up to them.
G2 holding on for dear life as Dallas approaches
It’s a hard knock life being a G2 fan at the best of times, but 2025 has been dour.
After Nikola “NiKo” Kovač left to join Falcons, the team started restructuring its roster around Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov. However, speculations about m0NESY leaving alongside NiKo persisted and eventually came true in April. Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa was appointed to lead this new initiative, but at 22 years old, he was also experiencing a dip in his performance.
With Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač unable to secure a visa for PGL Astana and the temporary loan of Aleksander “hades” Miśkiewicz, it seems like team G2 is experiencing a series of setbacks that might suggest a downward trend.
Despite facing numerous challenges, team G2 has consistently reached playoffs in major tournaments (except for PGL Astana). Their performance hasn’t been smooth for a while now, but their potential for making significant tournament runs remains evident. They simply need to find the right alignment and confidence to unlock it!
IEM Dallas an audition for American fans ahead of Austin Major
In contrast to common perception, the crowd at North American events is consistently captivating. Regrettably, we don’t have many opportunities to witness it these days; last year’s IEM Dallas was the only top-tier event held on American soil in 2024.
As a gamer, I can hardly contain my excitement! Over the next month, I’ll be in for a treat with two major esports events: IEM Dallas making its comeback and BLAST’s Austin Major. Dallas is like a dream stage for me, where some of the world’s most passionate fans can let loose their thunderous cheers. Can’t wait to be there!
Ready to join the excitement firsthand? Secure your tickets now for IEM Dallas 2025! Stay tuned with us at Xpsp for comprehensive IEM Dallas updates and the latest in CS2 news.
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2025-05-16 06:41