CS2 Teams Reshuffles – IEM Cologne: What Roster Changes Happened Before The Tournament?

In the lead-up to Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2025, several significant changes have taken place among the participating teams — shifts that could strongly impact expectations for their tournament performance. All eyes are on whether the young rifler kyosuke can find his footing and rescue Falcons from their ongoing instability, whether Spirit can regain its composure with the arrival of zweih, and whether NaVi will suffer from jL's departure from the roster. Esports platforms, such as EGamersWorld, utilize data-driven analysis to predict the form of professional players and highlight the most intriguing in-game dynamics to follow. For professional CS fans, this is the perfect time to catch up on all the major lineup changes ahead of IEM Cologne, which kicks off on July 23 and runs through August 3.

IEM Cologne 2025 Short Recap

IEM Cologne 2025 is one of the biggest CS2 tournaments of the year, taking place from July 23 to August 3 in the iconic LANXESS Arena in Cologne, Germany. Organized by ESL and part of the ESL Pro Tour and Grand Slam VI series, the event brings together 24 of the world’s best teams to fight for a massive $1,000,000 prize pool. As the first major event after the BLAST.tv Austin Major, it marks the official start of a brand-new season of professional Counter-Strike. The tournament begins with a Play-In stage, where 16 teams compete in a double-elimination bracket for eight spots in the Group Stage. All matches are best-of-three.

In the Group Stage, 16 teams are split into two GSL-style double-elimination groups. The top three teams from each group will move forward: group winners go straight to the semifinals, while second and third place teams enter the quarterfinals. The Playoffs will be held live in front of fans from August 1 to 3, featuring a single-elimination bracket with a best-of-five grand final. With top-tier teams, a legendary venue, and high stakes, IEM Cologne 2025 promises world-class CS2 action.

Roster Changes Before IEM Cologne 2025

Let’s take a closer look at the roster changes, especially in the top-ranked CS2 teams, as these shifts could impact each lineup’s level of play. Leading up to IEM Cologne, significant changes occurred in NAVI, Falcons, Spirit, G2, and FaZe. G2, in particular, will look especially refreshed — with two new players and a new coach making their debut under the team’s banner at this tournament.

Spirit: magixx replaced by zweih

Spirit recently made a key roster move, benching magixx and promoting 17-year-old talent zweih to the starting lineup. While magixx brought Major-winning experience and years of top-tier play, his recent form had declined — with a 1.00 rating over the last 3 months and below-average marks in key metrics like firepower and opening duels. Instead, Zweih quietly impressed with a 1.11 rating, strong firepower (81/100), and solid trading skills, all while being five years younger. To be fair, though, he achieved this result at a much lower level of tournaments, even though his former team did manage to qualify for the previous Major.

Despite his age, zweih already looks like a seasoned player and fits perfectly into Spirit’s high-skill, aggressive system. This isn’t just a temporary change — it’s a long-term investment in a rising star. As Spirit enters IEM Cologne 2025 as one of the scariest Tier-1 rosters, all eyes will be on zweih to see if he can level up and deliver under the bright lights of the LANXESS Arena.

Falcons: Magisk replaced by kyousuke

Falcons made a bold roster change ahead of IEM Cologne 2025, benching four-time Major winner Magisk and bringing in 17-year-old rifler kyousuke. While Magisk’s pedigree and experience speak for themselves, his recent form had dipped — showing a flat 1.00 rating and middle-of-the-pack impact stats. Falcons, known for their inconsistency, needed a spark, and kyousuke might be just that.

A former Spirit Academy prodigy, kyousuke enters with red-hot numbers: 1.39 rating, elite firepower, and top-tier opening duels. He’s clearly gifted, but his success will hinge on whether Falcons allow him to play his game. With two star players already commanding much of the spotlight, fitting into this system might be a challenge. Still, if the team adapts around his strengths, this move could turn out to be a game-changer. One thing’s for sure — this is a necessary risk, and the payoff could be massive.

NaVi: jL replaced by makazze

NaVi enters IEM Cologne 2025 with a major shake-up: Justinas “ jL ” Lekavicius, a Major MVP and one of the team’s emotional leaders, has been benched and replaced by 18-year-old Drin “ makazze ” Shaqiri. While makazze comes in with impressive individual stats — a 1.19 rating, huge firepower, and strong entry success — the change might not be the upgrade it looks like on paper.

NaVi is a team currently navigating turbulence, and makazze’s transition into this high-pressure Tier-1 environment may not be smooth. Unlike jL, who brought structure and leadership, makazze is still raw at this level. If the rumors are true and jL himself requested a break, this feels more like a forced move than a planned one. The potential is there, but expectations for a strong Cologne run should be tempered — this could easily become a step back for NaVi in the short term.

G2: SunPayus, MATYS, and sAw

After losing both NiKo and m0NESY, G2’s firepower and overall identity took a heavy blow — to the point where they’re arguably the weakest Tier-1 team heading into IEM Cologne 2025. Their recent moves include benching hades and Snax in favor of young rifler MATYS and Spanish AWPer SunPayus. Statistically, this adds more individual firepower and consistency, especially with SunPayus’ sniping pedigree, but it’s a bold shift for a roster already lacking synergy and star power.

On the coaching side, G2 also replaced veteran TaZ with former ENCE coach sAw — a surprising decision that raised eyebrows. While sAw brings recent tactical success and structure, replacing such a legendary figure feels risky at best. Unless he has insight the rest of us don’t, this move looks more like desperation than design. With all these changes, G2 arrives in Cologne with more questions than answers, and fans shouldn’t expect a deep run just yet.

FaZe: s1mple replaced by broky

FaZe made headlines yet again by parting ways with s1mple and bringing back their longtime AWPer, broky. The superstar experiment with Oleksandr Kostyliev was always going to be short-term, and while s1mple still put up solid numbers, the chemistry clearly wasn’t there. His departure marks the end of an ambitious but inconsistent chapter for FaZe, who now return to a more familiar system.

The return of broky restores a proven formula. He’s not as explosive as s1mple, but his calm under pressure, top-tier clutching, and strong synergy with the core make him a reliable upgrade in terms of team balance. With rain, ropz, and frozen still on board, FaZe now looks less like a highlight reel and more like a team aiming for deep runs again. They might not win Cologne, but they’re definitely back in the playoff conversation.

What We Should Know Yet About IEM Cologne 2025 Teams?

We should pay close attention to the top teams in the CS2 ranking, especially those leading the top ten. It's fascinating to watch how the results of this tournament might shift things, though I’m confident that the year’s favorite — and the favorite of this event — won’t give up their position, neither in Cologne nor anywhere else, at least until the end of 2025. Of course, I’m talking about Vitality — the undisputed best team in the game and a true phenomenon of the CS2 era. Their performance is expected to remain consistently strong and dominant.

As for the rest of the top teams competing at this tournament, each one should be looked at individually. Every position from 2 to 10 is relatively unstable, and after IEM Cologne, we’re likely to see a reshuffled top ten. However, don’t expect shocking headlines or entirely new teams rising to the top — unless FlyQuest wins the whole thing, that is!

IEM Cologne Latest News

The results of IEM Cologne 2025 — like those of any other Tier 1 tournament — won’t go unnoticed, as it’s a major event featuring the world’s top teams. EGamersWorld, as a dedicated platform for esports news and analysis, will be closely following the action and publishing all tournament results in the CS2 news feed. Suppose you're a fan or even just a casual follower of Counter-Strike. In that case, it’ll be easy for you to stay updated — simply click on the game logo at the top of the site and select “News” to follow all the happenings at the tournament, which began on July 23 and will run through August 3.

Good luck, have fun!