Team Vitality secure their first win in the IEM Cologne 2022 group stage

Team Vitality beat ENCE with a score of 2:1. (Nuke 16:12; Dust2 12:16; Mirage 16:7).

Team Vitality vs. ENCE

1. ENCE removed Inferno
2. Vitality removed Ancient
3. ENCE picked Nuke
4. Vitality picked Dust2
5. ENCE removed Overpass
6. Vitality removed
7. Mirage was left over

On Nuke, ENCE's team pick, Vitality showcases amazing defense and takes 12 rounds in the first half. After switching sides, Team Vitality loses the pistol round and the series after it. But point rounds with access to A helped the team win the opponent's pick. Team Vitality 16:12 ENCE.

The second confrontation map was remembered for a good comeback attempt from Team Vitality. Having lost the first half on the attacking side with a score of 11:4, they held up well in defense, however, the lost rounds against inferior rounds of ENCE affected the final score of the confrontation. Team Vitality failed to win their pick, the favored map of Dust2. ENCE 16:12 Team Vitality.

The third confrontation map began with failures for the ENCE team. They lost to an opponent when they had pistols without armor in their hands, while they themselves had a full-fledged purchase. Perhaps this is what affected the moral component of ENCE, because after that, they failed to win a single round. The half ended in favor of the wards of zonic with a score of 13:2. After switching sides, the ENCE team for the defense side demonstrates a streak that could be interrupted at any moment, because many situations were 1v1. But this streak did not last long, Vitality coped with the attack on Mirage and won the series. Team Vitality 16:7 ENCE.

Team Vitality advance in the tournament bracket, and their next opponent will be Movistar Riders.

ENCE fall into the lower bracket, where they have no room for error. The next opponent for them will be the G2 Esports team, who lost to Movistar Riders with a score of 2:0.

IEM Cologne 2022 takes place from 5 to 17 July in Germany at the Hyatt Regency Cologne and LANXESS arena venues. As part of the championship, 24 teams from Europe, the CIS, Oceania, China, North and South America are fighting for a prize pool of $1,000,000, as well as rating points in the BLAST Premier table.

Prize pool distribution at IEM Cologne 2022

• 1st place: $400,000 + 3,200 BLAST Premier points
• 2nd place: $180,000 + 1,600 BLAST Premier points
• 3rd-4th place: $80,000 + 1,000 BLAST Premier points
• 5th-6th place: $40,000 + 300 BLAST Premier points
• 7th-8th place: $24,000 + 300 BLAST Premier points
• 9th-12th place: $16,000
• 13th-16th place: $10,000
• 17th-20th place: Sprout, BIG, TYLOO and Imperial - $4,500
• 21st-24th place: paiN Gaming, Complexity Gaming, MIBR and ORDER — $2,500